At Mass. Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender youth meeting:

Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health funding homosexual / transgender movement in schools

To make up for GLBT Youth Commission funding cuts during budget crisis

Dec. 19, 2008

The madness continues. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is giving full support to the homosexual / transgender movement in Massachusetts schools, DPH Commissioner John Auerbach (who is "married" to another man) told the taxpayer-funded Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Bisexual Youth at their meeting on Dec. 15 at New Mission High School in Roxbury.

	We were there, too. The New Mission High School in Roxbury (which houses grades 1-12), where the Massachusetts Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth met on Monday evening, Dec. 15.

The DPH has given $150,000 of its budgeted money to the Massachusetts Commission on Gay Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Youth to make up for the $150,000 which the Governor cut from the Commission's $850,000 budget in October because of the massive budget crisis in Massachusetts. In other words, money which was meant for public health is now being diverted by the DPH to homosexual programs in the schools.

The Mass. Dept. of Public Health will also begin pushing acceptance of "transgenderism" and will even begin bringing transgender people into its leadership roles.

(Ironically, less than a month ago the DPH issued a report linking homosexuality with health problems and destructive behavior.)
 
 This was all revealed at the public meeting of the Mass. GLBT Commission last Monday evening, Dec. 15. The meeting was held at the New Mission High School in Roxbury, a building which includes grades K-12. (As we've reported in the past, this public Commission on GLBT Youth is made up of some of the most radical homosexual and transgender activists in the state, and uses hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money to push aggressive homosexual clubs and programs into the public schools, grades K-12. The Roxbury school has a robust gay-straight-alliance club run by a very aggressive homosexual activist.)

Homosexual leadership team: Running the meeting at New Mission High school (from left) Gunner Scott (a woman with a beard and sideburns) Grace Sterling Stowell (a man in a dress), Arthur Lipkin, and Jason Smith.

Auerbach addressed the Mass. GLBT Commission at the meeting. Among the highlights:

Funding

Auerbach described the intricacies of state budget "earmarks" and explained why they should not automatically be considered bad. He then spoke vaguely about desiring to insulate the GLBT Commission from budget cuts.

Auerbach said that the DPH is funded on a line item basis. Most state agencies have only have a few line items but DPH has about 50. It's illegal to shift money to fund other things. But he said "we get creative."

The GLBT Youth Commission's budget chairman acknowledged that $150K was scheduled to be cut from the Youth Commission's budget. Luckily, it "was covered by" Commissioner Auerbach.

Additionally, the budget chairman recommended that the GLBT Youth Commission follow the example of the Commission on the Status of Women in using the trust fund money.

Auerbach elaborated on "trust fund money." In the past the DPH has sought little private money. Using such money was problematic until they discovered that trust funds could be set up for the private grant money. He said now that they know how to do this they are actively seeking private money.

[MassResistance note: This has been discussed at other GLBT Youth Commission meetings. Look for big corporate or private foundation money to help fund homosexual programs targeting children, through this Commission.]

Transgenderism and the DPH

Commissioner Auerbach replied that he wants to advance "transgender health" while they have the opportunity. He applauded the commission's attention to trans health and said "We will listen to your recommendations."

Gunner Scott (a woman GLBT Commissioner with a beard and sideburns) stated that she wants the DPH to consider trans people for leadership roles within DPH. Auerbach agreed. He said there must be specific policies and practices for recruiting transgender leaders and role models in the DPH. They'll need to ensure proper advertising, and ensure that their human resources people send the right message. He said it would require training.

Gunner added that she wants the terms "gender identification" and "gender expression" used in the DPH policies. Auerbach agreed, and said they'll make sure that this happens.

The nearly 50-member Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth is made up almost entirely by middle-aged and older adults.

Gay clubs and "youth oriented programs"

Jessica Flaherty, Director of Programs at BAGLY (a transgender-oriented group that targets teenagers), noted the lack of connectivity between various youth oriented programs since much funding for that purpose was cut in 2001.

Auerbach said Medical Director Lawrence Smith will lead a cross departmental youth group that will assist groups to know what the others are up to. This will avoid duplication of effort and allow programs to complement each other.

Auerbach also said DPH was close to releasing a new sex website for youth.

Jason Smith asked about surveillance of GLBT youth through telephone surveys, data mining, disease registries and social networking to gather data on GLBT youth. Auerbach replied that he was open to it.

"Safe Schools", homosexuality, and "anti-bullying" agenda

GLBT Commissioner Arthur Lipkin said money in the funding increase was supposed to be used to hire a Director of Safe Schools (which would coordinate gay-straight alliance clubs and their affiliated programs in schools) but the statewide hiring freeze stopped it. He has talked to DPH, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), and various legislators but they all say no one can be appointed right now. Wants to make sure the money gets funneled into youth assistance instead. [Note: ESE was formerly called DOE - Dept. of Education - but renamed under the Patrick administration.]

Lipkin said he also wants money to be used for "education on peer influences" - i.e., anti-bullying/harassment programs. He said commission member Ed Byrne has done good work with the GSA at the New Mission High School (where tonight's meeting was held). Also said Paul Poteet, a researcher on bullying at Boston College, presented info on bullying today at New Mission High School. Poteet researches both school and out-of-school programs. (Anti-bullying programs are another popular way for activists to integrate homosexuality issues into schools.)

According to an observer at the meeting, this new GLBT Youth Commission member has tatoos up to her head (though it's not clear in this photo).

"Safe Spaces" in schools

"Safe Spaces" is part of the "Safe Schools" program, and is yet another homosexual-oriented activity in the schools. School officials designate "safe" homosexual-friendly places in the schools, marked by pink triangles and other signage.

MassResistance report on "safe spaces" in public schools

GLBT Youth Commissioner Judy Vreeland said Safe Spaces money was transferred from ESE to DPH. She said that John Bynoe, Associate Commissioner of ESE, has agreed its important to hold regional conferences on Safe Spaces. About $90K has been allocated for these conferences, and also for Safe Schools training.

Branching out to other state departments

Vreeland also said a letter was sent to Mass. Human Services Secretary Judy Bigby asking what services are currently offered to GLBT Youth in that department.

Election of new Commission Chairman

Jacob Smith Yang was voted to be next year's Chairman. Yang, a committed homosexual activist, said that one of his goals is for GLBT youth to be "fully realized people" (whatever that means). He said he also wants "external partners such as DPH and ESE" and for the Commission to be a "bully pulpit to hold government departments and agencies accountable" for having sufficient pro-homosexual policies and actions. He added that he think that there is a "public relations problem" and he wants "to create a communication and branding plan." (Note: we're assuming that Yang is a "he" but that hasn't positively established, given Yang's androgynous appearance.)

Alex Morse, a homosexual activist who came in second in the Chairmanship voting, said he wants to work over the next year with Boston, Worcester, and Springfield school committees "because of their large populations." For additional funding he wants to look to "local money" as well as private funding. He also wants to tailor their approach to middle school students better, not have it be the same as the way they approach high school students. And he wants to use "sociological data" to "make the Commission as efficient as possible."