The article that first described "Fistgate" to the world

Students Given Graphic Instruction In Homosexual Sex
By Brian Camenker and Scott Whiteman
Massachusetts News - May, 2000 edition

"Fisting [forcing one's entire hand into another person's rectum or vagina] often gets a bad rap....[It's] an experience of letting somebody into your body that you want to be that close and intimate with...[and] to put you into an exploratory mode."

The above quotation comes from Massachusetts Department of Education employees describing the pleasures of homosexual sex to a group of high school students at a state-sponsored workshop on March 25, 2000.

On March 25, a statewide conference, called "Teach-Out," was sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). 

Among the goals were to build more Gay/Straight Alliances in Massachusetts and expand homosexual teaching into the lower grades. Scores of gay-friendly teachers and administrators attended. They received state "professional development credits." 

Teenagers and children as young as 12 were encouraged to come from around the state, and many were bussed in from their home districts. Homosexual activists from across the country were also there.

To say that the descriptions below of workshops and presentations of this state-sponsored event for educators and children are "every parent's nightmare," does not do them justice. It is beyond belief that this could be happening at all. One music teacher who attended out of curiosity said that she could not sleep for several nights afterwards and had nightmares about it. 

"Queer sex for youth, 14-21"

In one well-attended workshop, "What They Didn't Tell You About Queer Sex & Sexuality In Health Class: A Workshop For Youth Only, Ages 14-21," the three homosexual presenters acting in their professional capacities coaxed about 20 children into talking openly and graphically about homosexual sex. The three presenters, who described themselves as homosexual, were:

• Margot E. Abels, Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Program, Massachusetts Dept. of Education

• Julie Netherland, Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Program, Massachusetts Dept. of Education

• Michael Gaucher, Consultant, HIV/AIDS Program, Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health

The workshop syllabus included:

• "What's it like to be young, queer and beginning to date? 

• "Are lesbians at risk for HIV?"

"We will address the information you want about queer sexuality and some of the politics that prevent us from getting our needs met."

The workshop opened with the three public employees asking the children "how they knew, as gay people, whether or not they've had sex." Questions were thrown around the room about whether oral sex was "sex," to which the Department of Public Health employee stated, "If that's not sex, then the number of times I've had sex has dramatically decreased, from a mountain to a valley, baby." Eventually the answer presented itself, and it was determined that whenever an orifice was filled with genitalia, then sex had occurred. The Department of Public Health employee, Michael Gaucher, had the following exchange with one student, who appeared to be about 16 years old:

Michael Gaucher: "What orifices are we talking about?"
Student: [hesitation]
Michael Gaucher: "Don't be shy, honey; you can do it."
Student: "Your mouth."
Michael Gaucher: "Okay."
Student: "Your ass."
Michael Gaucher: "There you go."
Student: "Your pussy. That kind of place."

But since sex occurred "when an orifice was filled," the next question was how lesbians could "have sex." Margot Abels discussed whether a dildo had to be involved; when it was too big or too small; and what homosexual resources students could consult to get similar questions answered.

Role playing and "carpet munching"

Then the children were asked to role-play. One student was to act the part of "a young lesbian who's really enraptured with another woman, and it's really coming down to the wire and you're thinking about having sex." The other student played the "hip GSA (gay, straight alliance) lesbian advisor, who you feel you can talk to." The "counseling" included discussions of lesbian sex, oral-vaginal contact, or "carpet munching," as one student put it. The student asked whether it would smell like fish. At that point the session turned to another subject.

"A lesson in fisting?"

There was a five minute pause so that all of the teenagers could write down questions for the homosexual presenters. The first question was read by Julie Netherland, "What's fisting?"

A student answered this question by informing the class that "fisting" is when you put your "whole hand into the ass or pussy" of another. When a few of the students winced, the Department of Public Health employee offered, "A little known fact about fisting: you don't make a fist like this. It's like this." He formed his hand into the shape of a tear drop rather than a balled fist. He informed the children that it was much easier.

Margot Abels told the students that "fisting" is not about forcing your hand into somebody's "hole, opening or orifice" if they don't want it there. She said that "usually" the person was very relaxed and opened him or herself up to the other. She informed the class that it is a very emotional and intense experience.

At this point, a youngster of about 16 asked why someone would want to do that. He stated that if the hand were pulled out quickly, the whole thing didn't sound very appealing to him. Margot Abels was quick to point out that although fisting "often gets a really bad rap," it usually isn't about the pain, "not that we're putting that down." Margot Abels informed him and the class that "fisting" was "an experience of letting somebody into your body that you want to be that close and intimate with." When a child asked the question, "Why would someone do this?" Margot Abels provided a comfortable response to the children, in order to "put them into an exploratory mode."

"Rubbing each others' clits..."

Michael Gaucher presented the next question, "Do lesbians rub their clits together?"

Michael Gaucher and Margot Abels asked the kids if they thought it was possible and whether someone would do a "hand-diagram" for the class. No one volunteered, but a girl who looked about 15 or 16 then stepped up to the board and drew a three foot high vagina and labeled each of the labia, the clitoris, and "put up inside the 'G'-spot." While drawing, Michael Gaucher told her to use the "pink" chalk, to which Margot Abels responded, "Not everyone is pink, honey." All of the children laughed.

After the chalk vagina was complete, the children remarked on the size of the "clit," and the presenters stated that that was a gifted woman. Then Margot Abels informed all of the young girls that, indeed, you can rub your "clitori" together, either with or without clothes and "you can definitely orgasm from it." Michael Gaucher told the kids that "there is a name for this: tribadism," which he wrote on the board and told one girl who looked about 14 to "bring that vocabulary word back to Bedford." Julie Netherland informed the children that it wasn't too difficult because, "When you are sexually aroused, your clit gets bigger."

"Should you spit after you suck another boy (or a man)?"

Michael Gaucher read the following from a card: "Cum and calories: Spit versus swallow and the health concerns." Gaucher informed the children that although he didn't know the calorie count of male ejaculation, he has "heard that it's sweeter if people eat celery." He then asked the boys, "Is it rude not to swallow?" Many of the high school boys mumbled "No," but one about the age of 16 said emphatically, "Oh no!" One boy, again about the age of 16, offered his advice on avoiding HIV/AIDS transmission while giving oral sex by not brushing your teeth or eating course food for four hours before you "go down on a guy," "because then you probably don't want to be swallowing cum."

Another question asked was whether oral sex was better with tongue rings. A 16-year-old student murmured, "Yes," to which all of the children laughed. Michael Gaucher said, "There you have it" and stated something to the effect that the debate has ended. 

Use a condom? It's your decision, really.

One often hears that there is an aggressive HIV/AIDS prevention campaign, but the session ran 55 minutes before the first mention of "protection" and safer sex came. In the context of the "safer sex" discussion, however, it was pointed out that these children could make an "informed decision" not to use a condom. Outside in the conference hall, the children could easily obtain as many condoms, vaginal condoms and other contraceptive devices as they wished from various organizations which distribute such. 

Well, yes...it really is about sex!

Another popular session was presented by the same three public employees in their professional capacity and was called, "Putting the 'Sex' Back Into Sexual Orientation: Classroom Strategies for Health & Sexuality Educators."
The workshop included:

What does it mean to say "being gay, lesbian and bisexual isn't about sex?...How can we deny that sexuality is central for all of us? How do we learn to address the unique concerns of queer youth?...This workshop is for educators to examine strategies for integrating sexuality education and HIV prevention content specific to gay, lesbian and bisexual students into the classroom and GSA's....additional strategies will be discussed."

The three presenters now assumed the task of teaching teachers how to facilitate discussions about "queer sex" with their students.

Tired of denying it

Margot Abels opened by telling the room full of teachers (and two high school students), "We always feel like we are fighting against people who deny publicly, who say privately, that being queer is not at all about sex... We believe otherwise. We think that sex is central to every single one of us and particularly queer youth."

Margot Abels, Julie Netherland and Michael Gaucher reviewed a few "campaigns" that have been used to demonstrate to queer youth how to best "be safe" while still enjoying homosexual sex.

The campaign, "Respect yourself, protect yourself," was thought to be good in getting the message to kids that they should use protection, but since it made children who didn't protect themselves feel bad, it ultimately was a poor message. Michael Gaucher pointed out that children "with an older partner that they are not feeling they can discuss things with, does that mean that they don't respect themselves?" 

The campaign, "No sex, no problem," was ridiculed, as the campaign assumed that children could opt not to have sex. Additionally, the campaign made those children who had already had sex feel bad or think they had a problem, since they had had sex.

After reviewing a few of the campaigns, Margot Abels described the project she works on. The "Gay/Straight Alliance HIV Education Project" goes to five different schools each year conducting up to eight "HIV prevention sessions" in that school's gay club. These same presenters who just told a group of children how to properly position their hands for "fisting" were now telling a room full of educators that they would visit their schools and conduct the same workshops for their students.

An enormous amount of very disturbing material was distributed at the conference. Much of it encourages young children to become actively engaged in homosexual activities. The Sidney Borum Community Health Center table was giving out a cassette sized "pocket sex" kit, which included two condoms, two antiseptic "moist" towelettes, and six bandages, which were for "when the sex got really rough," according to the high school volunteer behind the desk. There was a supply of condoms supplied by both Sidney Borum and Planned Parenthood, all of which were for the taking. Children as young as 12 or 13 participating and receiving "information" and materials.

But most shocking of all was that there was an eerie sense of solidarity in the air, against "those bigots who would stop our progress."