'Gay-Straight' group wins court battle

Federal judge David Carter granted a preliminary injunction Friday in
Santa Ana allowing the student-initiated "Gay-Straight Alliance" club to
meet on an Orange County high school campus while the group's lawsuit
develops.

An emergency school board meeting was held Friday night to discuss
the school's options for preventing the club from meeting on campus, and
many parents are incensed at the judge's decision.

In his ruling, Carter said the student members of the club would
suffer "irreparable harm" if not allowed to meet.

"Plaintiffs have been injured not only by the board's excessive
delay, but also by the inability to effectively address the hardships
they encounter at school every day," Carter said in a written ruling.

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Attorneys for the school district requested a stay of the judge's
order so they may appeal the ruling. At the time of this report, that
decision has yet to be made.

What has been described as a "media frenzy" took place outside the
courthouse where parents and others opposed to the club chanted slogans
and carried placards, one of which stated: "Gay clubs are propaganda."
Surrounding the commotion were local police and the media which "came in
droves," according to one observer.

Students Anthony Colin, 15, and Heather Zetin, 16, filed the federal
lawsuit in November, saying the board discriminated against them and
violated their free speech rights by not granting them "official club
status." The following month, the board, which had earlier put off
making a decision, voted unanimously not to allow the club.

In court papers, attorneys for the school district said the club was
disallowed because it covers issues taught in the sex education
curriculum. School officials have authority to prevent curriculum
discussion in clubs. The district said it would reconsider if the club
changed its name and refrained from discussing human sexuality topics.

Students have said the proposed Gay-Straight Alliance club is meant
as a forum for gay students to discuss discrimination.

While neither Colin nor Zetin were in attendance when the injunction
was granted, their parents expressed relief with the judge's ruling.

"It's about who these kids are. It's about who they love. It's not
about sex," said Zetin's mother, Judy Anderson.

Another argument used to justify the club is the need for "equality"
among homosexual and "straight" students -- an argument not everyone is
buying.

"This is another example of how 'equality' has been hijacked to force
immorality on everyone," Randy Thomasson told WorldNetDaily in an
interview moments after the ruling was issued.

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"This is the height of intolerance," said Thomasson. "The
high-powered homosexual activists are spoiled brats. If they don't get
their way, they don't want parents or school board members to do what
they need to do. [They say,] 'It's my way or the highway.' They are
attacking parents and local school board members with the purpose of
seducing children into the homosexual lifestyle."

Thomasson is founder and executive director of the Campaign for
California Families, a non-profit
organization founded last year whose mission is "fighting to restore
family-friendly values." The group uses campaign tactics, such as
full-page advertisements, to accomplish its goals. Last year, CCF paid
for 20 full-page ads in a successful fight against many of the
pro-homosexual bills in Sacramento.

"Parents have got to wake up!" Thomasson exclaimed. "They cannot
trust the courts, they cannot trust the bureaucracy. They need to take
responsibility for raising and educating their own children. That means
being involved politically to take back the reins of power from corrupt
judges and the education establishment."

The activist said legal battles such as the one in Orange County are
over "whose child is it anyway." He believes such fights will
strengthen the popularity of school choice measures, allowing parents
more easily to remove their children from the public school system.

"I think the school board is in the mood to fight," Thomasson added.

Indeed, the Orange County school board held an emergency meeting
Friday night to explore its options regarding the Gay-Straight Alliance.

Related story:

Homosexual classroom agenda gains ground

Julie Foster is a staff
reporter for WorldNetDaily.