District open to gay support club

Danette Goulet

Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials say if a student follows

policies and procedures, forming a gay and lesbian tolerance club should

be no problem.

The Orange Unified School District is divided over just such a request,

however.

If Newport-Mesa faced a similar request, officials said there are rules

that govern the organization of clubs -- and they are not biased.

“The policy of the district, to my understanding, is as long as there’s a

faculty advisor and they fall within the guidelines, we can’t prevent it

from occurring,” said school board member Martha Fluor.

“Our district has been very, very strong in terms of practicing

tolerance. We won’t tolerate anything -- whether it be denigrating one’s

race, religion, sex, whatever.”

Fluor’s sentiments were mirrored by other board member and Supt. Robert

Barbot, who said although he was unsure of legalities, the district had a

strong tolerance policy.

“We will do our best here always to treat each other with respect,” he

said.

But there is one school board member who would want to see a few more

questions before the district allowed a possible gay and lesbian

tolerance group.

“Should we allow students, covered by the Education Code, which requires

us to teach abstinence in the first place, to have a club based on a

certain behavior?” said board member Wendy Leece. “Approving the club

gives approval to teen sex.”

As she was three years ago when the topic arose in Newport-Mesa, Leece

would be opposed to such a group on school campuses.

“Sexuality is a private issue, like religion, and should not be talked

about in school,” she said. “This request, in my opinion, is part of a

special-interest group desiring global endorsement of the homosexual way

of life.”

The last time this issue surfaced in Newport-Mesa was in 1996, when Mahla Shaebanyan-Bady, a 15-year-old Corona del Mar student, attempted to rally

students together for a similar club.

Shaebanyan-Bady wrote what she termed “a call to arms” in the school

paper for the formation of a support group for gay and lesbian teenagers.

Although several teachers stepped forward to assist, student support was

not there and the group never formed.

But a community debate already had begun over Shaebanyan-Bady’s proposal,

much as is happening now in Orange Unified School District.

Earlier this year, a student at El Modena High School proposed the

formation of a gay-straight club on campus. The Orange school board has

been debating the issue since they heard of the students’ plan Oct. 1.

Hundreds of community members showed up to argue the issue at the school

board meeting Thursday night, which ended in the board delaying action on

the issue until Dec 7.

“Any time something occurs in one school district that is controversial,

it’s probably going to happen in others as well,” said school board

member David Brooks.

Newport-Mesa officials are watching closely as Orange attempts to iron

out the issue.

“The Orange Board of Education, because of their conservative majority,

has been singled out as a test arena and we will be watching to see what

happens,” Leece said.

“If we do end up being forced legally to have a club which promotes sex

to our kids, then I hope the plethora of the scientific research on both

sides of the aisle will be available to all the students.”