Public Funds for Anti-Choice, Anti-Sex Religious Organizations (an ongoing series)

[Open letter to Mayor Rob Makin, Hinton, Alberta, by Kathy Dawson*. Background here. Links added.]

Dear Mayor Makin, Town of Hinton,

Your grant information indicates that groups that advance a specific moral or religious point of view are ineligible for your Quality of Life Grant. Can you explain why West Yellowhead Pregnancy Care Centre (Hinton) was given $10,000 of public money?

West Yellowhead Pregnancy Care Centre (Hinton) is a religious based mission, an affiliate of CAPSS and bound by CAPSS Core documents (which can be found here (pdf)). They are a Christ-centred mission that is known for opposing reproductive rights and providing religious interference in the choices of pregnant women.  CAPSS prevents them from counselling or referring people for contraception. I have been personally present at a CAPSS affiliate abstinence based sexual health presentations (in a public school no less) and can attest that it excluded LGBTQ, shamed sexually active people, and provided no useful information on how sexually active teens can avoid pregnancy and STIs. In Canada, we have the right to access contraception, protection, abortion and quality sexual health information free of religious bias. It is shocking that the Town of Hinton would provide money to support groups that oppose basic reproductive rights.

I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Kathy Dawson
Sexual Health Education Advocate

***********

*Kathy Dawson guest-blogged here recently and has a proven record of activism.

If you'd like to help chivvy an answer out of the responsible people, here are two Twitter accounts: @HintonVoiceInc (town newspaper) and @Hinton Parklander (local Sun franchise).

Does Your School Have an STD (Standard Teaching of Dogma)?

[Guest post by Kathy Dawson.*]
First of all, do not be ashamed. It happens to many nice local schools. With proper treatment and education, a cure is possible.

What it is
STD (Standard Teaching of Dogma) refers to anti-choice missions that are using shame and fear to scare your teen into “never having sex until marriage”. This includes a ban on masturbation or even thinking about sex (thought police)! It is almost always accompanied by a heavy dose of “religious dogma” that masquerades as science based facts. Don’t be fooled! Turning your back on this leads to further infections of sexism, homophobia, attacks on non-traditional families, limiting of reproductive rights and keeping students in total dark about their own sexual health.

How does this happen?
These infections come in free glossy packages affiliated with heavily funded anti-sex league multi-nationals. Egg obsessed missionary hens are accompanied with great qualifications such as “preacher recommend”, “commitment to not counsel or refer contraception” and most importantly a commitment to protect eggs (fertilized or not) at any cost, even if it means financial ruin or death of the “incubators” (the slutty sluts that could not keep their legs closed).

Prevention
These infections happen in secret. Schools do not like it when parents know there is an infection, it makes things a little crab itchy uncomfortable. It is important to ask every teacher, every year: WHO is teaching, WHAT is being taught, and what is Google’s opinion. Tell your child to watch out for specific lying liar agencies. Nothing wrong with a little sound or video evidence, difficult to get but clears infections immediately. A vocal membership on the parent council will strengthen protection.

Symptoms May Include (but not limited to):
• Abstinence because they told you so.
• View that youth are too idiotic to correctly use contraception or protection.
• Attack of the killer STI/STD.
• Slutty sluts should watch what they are wearing because boys are crazed sex demons with no control
• Soulgasms – mind blowing orgasms brought on by wearing a wedding ring.
• Mention of fetus or eggs brings on glassy looks and moans of “My Precious”.
• Allergic reactions to the mention of clitoris (also known as the Devil’s Doorbell), masturbation (ringing the doorbell), sexually active people (aka slutty sluts), and LGBTQ2S (or anything to do with rainbows).
• How to crochet a hat for your 16 cell zygote because they are fully formed.
• Adoptions are happy time for everyone because teen parents raise criminals.
• Facts can be found here.
 
Treatment
Here is a general "how to" when trying to clear up an STD (Standard Teaching of Dogma) in your school. Do not attempt this alone, you will need to call in other stakeholders to help especially if the infection has spread through the entire district. The system is known to shut down and annihilate attempts to clear infection with the process: “you are the only parent, in the only school, in the only board that ever had a problem with it”.

Start gently as some infections are easily cleared up with a little exposure to sunlight. Interactions should be respectful and everyone should focus on what is best for the students. Steps must be taken in a specific order as school systems are very hierarchical and the infection may dig in deeper.

1) Playgrounds can be unforgiving. Protect your child throughout the process.
2) Educate the educator: Try to resolve the issue with the teacher first.
3) Educate school administration: Arrange a meeting with the principal and the teacher.
4) Gather Resources, People, and Research:
    a. Has this issue happened before?
    b. Identify applicable board policies, regulations, curriculum, legislation, etc.
    c. What is the impact on the children? Focus on children’s needs.
    d. Have your talking points (key issues) ready.
    e. Discuss the issue and get support from other parents
5) Educate the Superintendent: provide a copy of your concerns and arrange a meeting.
6) Educate the Board:
    a. Have other stakeholders and yourself attend and speak at board meetings.
    b. Use talking points and be mindful of time limit to get points across.
7) Educate the Minister of Education
    a. Caution: this will automatically start the circular shutdown process. Expect to hear:
         i.“Not our problem it is their issue”. This will rinse and repeat until the media gets involved. Like musical chairs, whomever is left standing will answer to media.
    b. Do not expect “what is good for the students” to be mentioned (that will be your job) as the infection will be trying to survive.
    c. Do not worry, this step is a formality anyway. The next step is critical.
8) Educate the World:
    a. Connect with others stakeholders & organizations:
         i. Comprehensive sexual health providers
         ii. Feminist, Pro-Choice, LGBTQ2S
         iii. Science and/or secular groups
    b. Write letters to the editors
    c. Use social media
    d. Use a petition to connect with interested parties and increase visibility and pressure.
    e. Contact local media and arrange interviews
9) Last resort:
    a. Human Rights: time sensitive, lengthy process. Grounds may be: family status, marital status, gender, orientation, religion (includes non-belief). Check provincial Acts.
     b. Lawyer: Lawyer Referral Services can get you a free consult.
10) Helpful Resource Links:
      a. Alberta Health/Education Teaching Sexual Health website: www.teachingsexualhealth.ca
      b. Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada supports sexual health education: www.sexualityandu.ca
      c. Public Health Canada Guidelines for Sexual Health Education: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/resource-library/single/resources/canadian-guidelines-for-sexual-health-education-2008
      d. SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States) Community Action Resources: www.communityactionkit.org


* Kathy Dawson has been active on the sex ed front in Alberta as reported here. Follow her on twitter, @KathyDawson.

Harry Potter and the cauldron of STIs...

That headline doesn't quite capture all the cheekiness, humour, irreverence and tongue-twisting (at times!) facts overload (but in a GOOD way) of an Insight Theatre *show*.  

You must attend one to get their infectious (ouch!) jokes and insightful moments.  I won't give away any punchlines; suffice to say JK Rowling's penchant for quirky names is amply explored in the naughty bits... err, skits about Sexually Transmitted Infections.  Hilarious, inspired and clever! 

The lively and talented writers/performers are adolescents who work with Planned Parenthood Ottawa staff to produce this amusing and informative show.

Last evening I spoke with Catherine Macnab and Lauren Dobson-Hughes who are respectively director and board president.  Insight Theatre is a gem in a crown of multi-faceted education and community outreach programs. We spoke about advocacy, the challenges of reproductive justice issues, pro-choice and The March for Lies, since the event is one that DJ! mines shamelessly for its unintended humour.  

Since hundreds and hundreds of Catholic Schools students who are bussed to Ottawa for the March wander about downtown Ottawa afterwards, volunteers wearing PPO shirts show up to give out information packets with its own PPO branded condoms in the ByWard Market, on Elgin Street and around Parliament Hill. 

The range of programs offered by PPO can be found here.

Unfortunately there are no videos posted yet from this year's repertoire, but here's a golden oldie from 2013:

To book a performance: all the information.

Turnabout: WE Have Conscience Issues Too

This is good.

An Edmonton teenager and her mother have successfully filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission, alleging the Edmonton Public School District’s use of a Christian fundamentalist abstinence education program infringed upon their rights as non-Christians.

And it should start a trend.

@fernhilldammit @Auragasmic @01CindyLee @blueskies366 "...infringed upon their rights as non-Christians." WHY HAVEN'T MORE PEOPLE SAID THIS?

— MsBlack (@InternetPerson6) July 10, 2014

A similar objection to sex-ed taught by religious nutbars, who, by the way, run fake abortion clinics in the schools' neighbourhoods, was based on the lies and distortions typically offered in such courses.

Why bother with facts and science and tolerance? Let's just cut to the chase and use their tactics against them.

In other words, you have fucking conscience issues, nutbars? So do we.

Take your Christian Sharia crap and stuff it.

UPDATE: CBC interview at 7:00 mark here.

UPPITY-DATE: Victory! Edmonton School Board will look for other providers. Squeaky wheel wins!

UPPITY-DATE 3: Power and Politics panel (50:43 mark) destroys any semblance of justification for religion in publicly funded schools.

No sex please, we're Ottawans.

In the news today:

A museum sex exhibit designed to educate teenagers was just fine in Regina, but it's too hot for Ottawa.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum has raised the unaccompanied age of admission for Sex: A Tell-All Exhibition to 16 from 12. [...]

This change means the show will miss much of its target audience. Designed by the Montreal Science Centre, it is intended to introduce adolescents to the confusing world of sex.

That was supposed to include young adolescents who are just starting to experience physical and emotional changes of puberty. They will still be admitted, but only with an adult.

A museum spokesman said Wednesday there were "about 50" complaints about the show since publicity began last week. Some were phone calls, some were emails, and many of the emails had the same text copied and pasted.

The spokesman said no identifiable group was associated with the complaints.

I think members of Blob Blogging Wingnut and Tubesock Holocaust's special *Vatican Taliban* interest group - aka fundamentalist, anti-choice catholics - are responsible for the e-swarming.

Anything that might educate their children, encourage them to ask questions about sexuality and allow them to think for themselves is Verboten!

More on the War on Women and on sex that's not for breeding purposes.

I wonder if SUZYALLCAPS' zealot peer group will picket this film, à la Westboro Baptist Church, when it's screened at the ByTowne.

UPDATE by fh: Culture Min James Moore confirms his office bitched.

Added by dBO: shriEEEk!

"The purpose of the museum “is to foster scientific and technological literacy throughout Canada,” Moore’s office said in a statement.

“It is clear this exhibit does not fit within that mandate. This content cannot be defended, and is insulting to taxpayers."

From here.

Well I'm a taxpayer and I'm insulted that the Ministry for Heritage and Culture is controlled by sexphobic, religious fundamentalists and christofascists like Charles McVety.

Counter the RWNJ complaint letters with your own, and keep track.

Enterprising US bidness!

Manufacturing industries, once the foundation of the US economy, have shipped all their jobs offshore but not all is lost since this type of business ingenuity still flounders flourishes south of the 49th parallel.

[...] here's the most upsetting new service we've heard about in a long time: a company offers to search your wife or girlfriend's panties for semen, then DNA-test it to see if she's cheating on you. Oh, and you can also use this service on your daughter. [...]

The real piece de resistance of creepiness, though, is Infidelity DNA Testing's suggestion that you use its semen detection service to find out if "your daughter is having sex." Because having your child's panties analyzed is definitely a better option than talking to her about sex.

From here.

I can only shudder and imagine how some of the stage mothers pimping their daughters at girls' beauty pageants will use this service for leverage, to identify and blackmail pedophile judges.

Too Young to Invade Italy

It seems the UK has a teensy problem with teen pregnancy, like, it's right behind the Excited States in knocked-up kids among developed countries. And Canucks shouldn't be too smug in this department. We're in the top six, five of which are the UK and its former colonies, US, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and, oddly, Hungary. (All -- except Hungary -- repressed Anglo cultures unable to talk birds and bees with our children?)

So, the Brits decided to tackle the problem by making sex ed mandatory in schools -- all schools, including the 'faith' schools.

Well, you know what happened next, right?

The Catlicks went berserk, demanding an opt-out.

But the government held firm . . .

Oh. Wait. There's an election coming up.

The bill was passed but with an amendment allowing misogynist Christoids faith schools to teach that birth control is wrong but still requiring them to teach it.

Commenter Mark Steel rants:

How can there be so many lunatics opposed to sex education? And apart from anything else, what makes them think a lesson about sex is going to make kids go out and immediately have sex? It's education about it, not an instruction to get it done before dinner break. Maybe they should demand an end to history lessons as well on the grounds that "I don't want my fourteen-year-old learning about Napoleon as he's too young to invade Italy."

It continues to astonish me that weaselly pols bend over and grab their ankles for this crap.

A Red-Ribboned Clockwork.

For decades, yes decades now, the progressive, the non-bigoted, the non-fundamentally religious and the compassionate have been advocating for services and support for people living with HIV/AIDS as well as educational campaigns that present truthful information.

The regressive/conservative, bigoted, fundamentally religious and patronizing view is that the disease is a scourge sent from heaven and that it’s gawd’s punishment for enjoying unmarried and/or non-breeding sex.

Thus it’s probably not difficult to guess on which side of the divide might be found the minds who created this particular advertisement for a public campaign.

"In the highly-sexualised clip … a couple undress and begin to make love in a dimly-lit bedroom.

But what appears to be a typical, if steamy, advert for perfume or underwear takes a macabre twist when the camera pans to man's face at the moment of climax - revealing him to be Adolf Hitler.

The commercial has been released to coincide with 2009 World Aids Day, but established HIV/Aids charities have distanced themselves from its message, saying that it could make life more difficult for sufferers."

It’s unfortunate that the group decided to produce an erotically-charged advertisement, which could have effectively communicated a sex-positive and responsible message for condom use, in such a repulsive way.

Such an approach, known to those familiar with B.F.Skinner’s research on psychological imprinting and the dubious results obtained from using negative reinforcement aka punishment, reminds me of the last act in the film A Clockwork Orange.

Dinosaurs Evolve!

A new survey of Republicans and Independents in the US reveals that a majority of them are in fact reality-based, at least on matters of reproductive health.

Sponsored by the National Women’s Law Center and the YWCA USA, the survey found:

that Republicans, and to an even greater degree Independents, support a range of legislative proposals to make contraception more affordable and accessible. Additionally, Republicans and Independents strongly support comprehensive sex education, particularly as compared to abstinence-only programs.

[snip]

A striking finding of the survey was that nearly three-quarters (73%) of Republican and Independent voters are concerned that government is too quick to involve itself in people’s personal lives and private decisions when it comes to sexual behavior and pregnancy.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Republicans and Independents favor legislation that would make it easier for people at all income levels to obtain contraception, and 70 percent favor legislation that would help make birth control more affordable. More than 60 percent of fundamentalist/evangelical Protestants favor these proposals.

[snip]


A strong majority of Independents (67%) and nearly half of Republicans (49%) have a favorable opinion of emergency contraception.

To me, the most surprising finding was on abortion:

Overall, the Republican/Independent sample opposes overturning Roe v. Wade by 51 percent to 43 percent. Even 44 percent of Republicans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade.

OK, it's a pretty small majority who would keep Roe v. Wade, but still, I find it hopeful.

And maybe it will give pause to the people pushing Arch Fetus Fetishist Sarah Palin for 2012. *shudder*