http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030818-122317-3268r.htm

Gary Glenn: GaryGlenn@AFAMichigan.org
Phone: 517-835-7978

How to be ***' course draws fire at Michigan

By George Archibald
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

****A course called "How to be ***: Male Homo***uality and Initiation,"
scheduled this fall, has reignited a culture war at the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor.
****A family-values lobbyist is leading public opposition to the self-proclaimed
"uncompromising political militancy" of the professor who teaches
"*******-***-bi***ual-transgender."
****The lobbyist, Gary Glenn, says professor David M. Halperin and the
university "are guilty of perpetrating a fraud against UM students and the
people of Michigan [with] propaganda statements about so-called cultural studies
and academic freedom" as they promote "queer studies" at taxpayer expense.
****Mr. Glenn, president of the Michigan affiliate of the conservative American
Family Association, first criticized the "How to be ***" courses three years
ago. In 2000, the Michigan state legislature fell just four votes short of
passing a measure to cut off all government funds for the courses.
****Last week, he renewed his crusade against Mr. Halperin's classes, urging
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, a Democrat, the legislature and the university's
Board of Regents to "stop letting homo***ual activists use our tax dollars to
subsidize this militant political agenda."
****The professor says critics misunderstand the "How to be ***" class.
****"It does not teach students to be homo***ual," Mr. Halperin says in an
interview. "Rather, it examines critically the odd notion that there are right
and wrong ways to be ***, that homo***uality is not just a ***ual practice or
desire but a set of specific tastes in music, movies, and other cultural forms —
a notion which is shared by straight and *** people alike.
****"The reason these courses exist is not that homo***ual teachers have
hijacked the university for their own purposes; they exist because they convey
the results of research which sheds genuinely new light on history, culture,
society and thought."
****However, in a course description on the university's Web site, Mr. Halperin
says: "Just because you happen to be a *** man doesn't mean that you don't have
to learn how to become one. *** men do some of that learning on their own, but
often we learn how to be *** from others."
****The course description says students "will examine a number of cultural
artifacts and activities" including "camp, diva-worship, drag, muscle culture,
taste, style and political activism." Mr. Halperin's class explores "the role
that initiation plays in the formation of *** male identity."
****The emphasis on "initiation" into homo***uality is what appears to be most
offensive to conservatives like Mr. Glenn.
****"We don't know what [Mr. Halperin] does in the classroom," the state AFA
president says in an interview. "It is outrageous that Michigan taxpayers are
forced to pay for a class whose stated purpose is to 'experiment' with the
'initiation' of young men into a self-destructive homo***ual lifestyle."
****Mr. Glenn notes that Mr. Halperin has boasted in print about his success in
advancing a homo***ual agenda.


the U.S., expresses an uncompromising political militancy. ... The emergence of
******* and *** studies has brought about a far-reaching intellectual
transformation in the disciplines of the humanities, arts and social sciences as
well as in the social life of American universities and in the professional
culture of American academe."
****Mr. Halperin wrote that "******* and *** studies scholars" were leaders in
lobbying universities and governments "to adopt and enforce anti-discrimination
policies, to recognize same-*** couples, to oppose the U.S. military's anti-***
policy, to suspend professional activities in states that criminalize *** *** or
limit access to abortion, and to intervene on behalf of human rights for
*******s, bi***uals and *** men at the local and national levels."
****Robert M. Owen, the university's associate dean for undergraduate education
in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, defends Mr. Halperin's
course.
****"This course is not about encouraging people to become ***, but about how
individuals in our society create meaning and beliefs about *** culture from
literature and the arts," Mr. Owen said in a prepared statement. Such a course
helps students who plan to enter careers in law, social work or other fields
where they will "encounter a large and very diverse clientele."
****Mr. Owen said public criticism of Mr. Halperin's class stems largely from
"the title of the course," and said, "The interpretation of that title is very
troubling for some people."
****The course is part of the university's "genuine search for intellectually
interesting and sometimes provocative subject matters," the associate dean said.
"The historic freedom granted to pursue this search is one of the hallmarks of
higher education."
****University officials have been "inundated" with AFA-distributed postcards
objecting to the course, says university spokeswoman Julie Peterson. But she
does not expect the postcards to affect the university's support for Mr.
Halperin.
****"He is a very popular professor," Ms. Peterson says, "and there is always a
long waiting list for his courses. The list gets longer when stories like this
happen."
****Mr. Glenn argues that such a statement by a university official "mocks and
even taunts Michigan taxpayers, reveling that the more taxpayers dare protest
the use of their tax dollars to teach kids 'How to be ***,' the more students
will enroll in the class.
****"Such arrogant dismissiveness toward taxpayers' legitimate concerns is all
the more reason Michigan lawmakers should exact a greater degree of public
accountability from UM officials."
****

byker

Majority rules, fudgepackers. Now be good little perverted psychotics and
get back in those closets where you belong.....
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today: August 18, 2003 at 12:38:10 PDT

Majority Favors Law Against *** Marriage

By WILL LESTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than half of Americans favor a law barring ***
marriage and specifying wedlock be between a man and a woman, an Associated
Press poll found.

The survey also found presidential candidates could face a backlash if they
support *** marriage or civil unions, which provide *** couples the legal
rights and benefits of marriage.

The poll, conducted for the AP by ICR-International Communications Research
of Media, Pa., found 52 percent favor a law banning *** marriages, while 41
percent oppose it.

About four in 10 - 41 percent - support allowing civil unions, roughly the
same level found in an AP poll three years ago. But 53 percent now say they
oppose civil unions, up from 46 percent in the earlier survey.

The increase came largely from people who previously were undecided, the
polls suggested.

Close to half those surveyed said they would be less likely to support a
presidential candidate who backs civil unions (44 percent) or *** marriage
(49 percent), while only around 10 percent said they would be more likely.

"I don't think it's a great idea, the whole idea of marriage is bringing up
children," said Jim Martin, a 64-year-old engineer from Alexandria, Va. "If
somebody was promoting it, I would vote against them."

The issue poses a challenge for the Democratic presidential candidates in
the 2004 election. The six leading candidates say they oppose *** marriage
but are sharply critical of efforts to legally ban it, either with a law or
by amending the Constitution.

Four of the six - former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, Missouri Rep. ****
Gephardt, Florida Sen. Bob Graham and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry - say
they support civil unions. North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Connecticut
Sen. Joe Lieberman say they favor benefits for *** partners, but say states
should decide on civil unions.

President Bush has said he supports efforts to legally ban *** marriage, but
encourages tolerance of ***s and *******s.

In the AP poll, about one-third of people who identified themselves as
Democrats and independents said they would be less likely to support a
candidate who backs civil unions. Twice as many Republicans said they feel
that way.

More than four in 10 Democrats support passing laws against *** marriage,
according to the poll. Two-thirds of Republicans support passing such laws.

*** rights have gotten increased attention since June, when the Supreme
Court threw out a Texas law prohibiting *** ***, saying such a ban violates
constitutionally guaranteed privacy rights. The decision mobilized Christian
conservatives, who warned it could lead to legalization of *** marriage.

The poll found 54 percent favor a constitutional amendment that *** marriage
only be between a man and a woman, while 42 percent oppose it.

"The public clearly draws the line at *** marriage," said Karlyn Bowman, a
public opinion ****yst at the American Enterprise Institute, a
conservative-leaning think tank in Washington. She said it's less clear if
civil unions will be a significant issue by the election in November 2004.

"There's often a bit of rethinking" on an issue "after a big development
like a Supreme Court decision," she said.

At least some of those surveyed who back *** marriage say the issue could
determine how they vote in 2004.

"It might make a significant difference in whether I would support a
candidate," said Jody Moore, a graduate student living in the suburbs of Los
Angeles who favors *** marriage. "It's a question of dignity."

The AP poll also suggested public attitudes vary by age. Support for civil
unions and opposition to laws against *** marriage were significantly higher
among young adults and dipped progressively among older age groups. Men were
more likely than women to oppose *** marriage and support laws against it.

And residents of more rural areas were significantly more likely to favor
laws against civil unions and *** marriage.

The poll of 1,028 adults from every state but Alaska and Hawaii was
conducted from Aug. 8-12 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3
percentage points.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2003/aug/18/081801114.html