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California Family Minute

April 18, 2011

The Truth Cannot Be Silenced: Teens Get the Conversation Started

by Rebecca Burgoyne, 
CFC Research Analyst

On Friday, many public school campuses across California were silent, as thousands of middle school and high school students took part in an annual Day of Silence, a protest designed to spotlight homosexual activism. Likeminded students took a daylong vow of silence and handed out cards indicating their action and the reasons behind it. In schools with teachers and administrations that favor the promotion of homosexuality, some teachers planned quiet seatwork, as the whole class went silent in deference to one particular viewpoint.

Nationwide today, however, many teens are getting conversations started with honest dialogue about sexuality. Allowing teens with a biblical viewpoint to stand up and express their opinions, today’s Day of Dialogue takes place in response to the homosexual activism on many campuses.  

“The whole idea [behind the Day of Dialogue] is to help embolden and encourage students to want to express their biblical viewpoint in a loving and grace-filled way,” Candi Cushman, who heads up the project for Focus on the Family, told OneNewsNow. From its beginning in 2005, the idea behind the Day of Dialogue – formerly called Day of Truth – has been to encourage thoughtful and respectful student conversation about God’s creative design. “The core idea,” according to Cushman, “is to encourage student-initiated conversations about the fact that God is personal, cares about every student in the school, and cares about their relationships, sexuality and their souls. Most importantly, we’re challenging students to express the true model presented by Jesus Christ — who didn’t back away from speaking truth, but neither held back in pouring out His incredible, compassionate love for hurting and vulnerable people.”

The Day of Dialogue provides insight and help, but parents must make certain that their teens are equipped to withstand the kind of opposition that may come. Young people need the intellectual armor to stand up to the distortions, and courage to withstand the peer pressure to conform to a culture that rejects the ideals taught in their homes and churches.  

Without insight into the guise of tolerance and protection from bullying and harassment, school districts may rubber-stamp programs proposed by pro-homosexual organizations. The California Legislature has had great success promoting special rights due to “sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.” In this legislative session alone, there are no less than nine bills dealing with bullying in public schools, including SB 48 (Homosexual, Bisexual, and Transgender History), which passed the California Senate on Thursday.

Spring brings with it a cluster of homosexual activist campaigns in the public schools – many of them promoted by the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), an umbrella organization that sponsors chapters (“clubs”) on hundreds of California school campuses. April features not only the Day of Silence but also the GSA Sacramento advocacy day and San Francisco Unified School District’s Gay Pride Month. Activities and leadership summits are planned, and pro-homosexual plays and movies visit many campuses and community centers statewide. Next month, many schools will observe gay icon Harvey Milk’s birthday, now a public school “day of celebration.”  

Stay in touch with what is happening in your community’s public schools, and parents, make sure your children are equipped to identify distortion and seduction for what it is. You – not the schools – are best suited to decide what your child is exposed to, and when. Some parents decide to keep their children home on days like the Day of Silence; others have removed their children from the public school setting by enrolling them in private school or choosing to homeschool. Make the best decision for you and your family, but make sure that you and your child openly discuss what happens on campus. 

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