The Purpose of the Caucus
The 2018 NEA Representative Assembly Caucus Report
This year’s NEA RA was held in Minneapolis, MN, my home state, from June 30- July 5. Greg Quinlan, ex-gay from New Jersey, was our awesome guest all six days. (See Links) Jeralee Smith, NEA Ex-Gay Educators’ Caucus founder and current member was also present for the entire convention. We were able to dialogue with and hand out a lot of scientific, research-based information to interested delegates who visited our exhibit.
Early in the convention, a new delegate enthusiastically came to our booth. She informed me that our NEA Ex-Gay Educators’ Caucus booth was the most important caucus/exhibit there. She proceeded to tell me that she grew up in CA and had been taught and indoctrinated with inaccurate information on sexuality and transgenderism in the public schools. She said that pretty soon she was so confused she didn’t know “who she was, what she was or where she was.” She attributes the confusion in large part to the misinformation she was taught. She stated, “After a long, devastating journey, I had to start reading the Bible to “get my head on straight.” She urged, “Please continue what you are doing in this caucus, so others don’t have to go through the devastation I went through.” This is exactly one of the reasons this caucus exists.
Here are some of the MYTHS being propagated and the scientific, research-based response:
https://www.acpeds.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/5.25.17-Joint-Therapy-letter-with-signatures.pdf
1. Sexual Orientation and gender dysphoria are fixed, inborn traits, like race.
2. Homosexual attractions and gender dysphoria experienced by minors are enduring.
3. LGBTQ behaviors carry no increased health risks as compared to heterosexual behavior.
4. Scientific research proves that psychotherapy to explore sexual attractions and gender identity (pejoratively dubbed ‘conversion therapy’) is universally harmful.
As a follow-up to last year’s New Business Item which was referred to Committee on the promise that President Eskelsen-Garcia would personally oversee its proceedings: “For the 2018 RA, NEA, will thoroughly review and evaluate RA exhibitors’ materials for information that is offensive, obscene, or in bad taste. Based on the findings of the review the NEA will enforce its standing rules 12.B (b) and 12.B (d) as they relate to exhibitors found in violation of the aforementioned rules. Because of concerns brought by 2017 RA delegates, special scrutiny will be made to the following exhibitors:
1. NEA Ex-Gay Educators
2. Creation Truth Outreach
3. Creation Science Educators”
This year, to NEA’s credit, all of our materials for the 2018 convention were approved as they have been every year. We commend them for their fairness in this free speech, democratic process.
However, there was one major area of concern at this year’s 2018 Convention. NBI #121 was presented which recommended banning therapy.
NBI #121- “Using existing resources, NEA will release a public statement in opposition to conversion therapy, repairative [sic] therapy, reorientation, or any other process to alter a student’s orientation or identity.” President Lily Eskelsen-Garcia was presiding over the debate in which NEA rules call for a fair debate, one for, one against, and so on. She knowingly allowed views against the NBI to be silenced. How did it happen? LGBT activists used lies and coercion by signing up to speak against the ban and then speaking for the ban and taking slots of speech set aside for opposing viewpoints. President Eskelsen Garcia stated that she knew what they were doing and yet allowed silencing of any dissenting viewpoints, of which at least one member had signed up to speak. (Video evidence of the proceedings available upon request.) In reporting convention proceedings to one of the NEA members and union activists in my district in Minnesota, I mentioned this silencing. She stated that actions like these may cause individuals to choose to no longer be a member of NEA. NEA prides itself on being the largest, democratic, deliberative body in the world. Why are they not allowing both sides of an issue to be debated?
This is exactly why this caucus exists- to make change in the NEA to include scientific, research-based information on sexual and transgender issues for the sake and safety of our precious public-school children.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Halvorson
NEA Ex-Gay Educators Chair
9/1/18
The views expressed in this document are those of the caucus. The caucus has no authority to speak for, or act on behalf of, the NEA.
NEA Ex-Gay Educators' Caucus 