This article is a response to "The Shaky Legal Foundations of the Global Human Rights Education Project," an article written by Barend Vlaardingerbroek, in which Vlaardingerbroek characterizes current practices of human rights education (HRE) as having an overriding agenda of activism, one that can draw on an ideologically-driven…

La Casa de los Colores (the House of Colors) is a feminist organization dedicated to defending human rights, particularly those of the LGBTQ+ community in León, Nicaragua. In 2016 Helen Alfaro, Yova Briones, Ani Guerrero, and Tannia Rizo Lazo, four members of La Casa's leadership team, "Las Coloras," were invited to speak about…

In this column, the author reviews books and other resources that address issues related to teaching tolerance for those of other religions, races, gender orientations, and cultures. It reviews titles related to Jewish oppression, including Doreen Rappaport's (2012) "Beyond Courage, the Untold Story of Jewish Resistance during the…

There is ample reason to be discouraged about the prevalence of sexual prejudice. As Herek (2000) notes, the majority of adult respondents in the United States report that homosexual behavior is wrong or "unnatural." The author readily acknowledges, then, that it is overly optimistic to believe that sexual prejudice is a thing of the past or that…

The FAIR Education Act (SB 48) was signed into law in California in July of 2011, amending the Education Code by requiring representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the social sciences. In this article, the author uses James Banks' model of the Four Levels of Integration of Multicultural Content to suggest ways in which…

Social work strives to be inclusive of all cultural groups and religious identities. However, a tension exists in the profession between freedom of religious expression and full acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. David Hodge and others claim social work is oppressive to evangelical Christians. This article critiques primarily Hodge's…

Federal court cases are examined in an effort to view recent First Amendment rights infringements which have occurred in Mississippi. Case law reinforces students' rights to wear same-sex outfits to school functions as well as to bring same-sex dates. Connection to a recent civil rights investigation by the NAACP into a north Mississippi middle…

Comments on the article by G. Herek, "Legal recognition of same-sex relationships in the United States: A social science perspective." Herek provided a useful overview of psychological research relevant to the legal recognition of same-sex marriages. Another avenue of advocacy that the American Psychological Association could undertake…

This paper discusses the role of religious speech in the public square and the common school. It argues for more openness to political theology than many liberals are willing to grant and for an educational strategy of engagement over one of avoidance. The paper argues that the exclusion of religious debate from the public square has dysfunctional…

States that the Supreme Court's 1996 ruling in Romer v. Evans is widely seen as a significant extension of civil rights to gays and lesbians. Offers a reading of the case that eschews traditional and formalistic legal analysis in favor of more critical approaches to understanding the role of law in lived experience and communal life. (PA)

In this article, the author talks about the passing of new laws forbidding gay marriage or legal recognition of same-sex unions in the United States and the impact of the gay rights issue on students. Across the nation, faculty who enjoy secure academic appointments, work with caring colleagues, and reside in university towns are subject to new…

In this article, the author describes how he successfully taught gay rights in his middle school class. He also relates how he finally came out with his real sexuality to his students. He also describes how a stuttering student named Malcolm explained to one of his classmate the reason why his teacher felt a need to reveal his true sexuality. An…

Although individual exceptions exist, the judiciary as a whole has failed in its impartial enforcement of civil rights by displaying the subjective, emotional, and often irrational sort of judgments endemic to homophobia in cases involving gay rights. (Author/EB)

Discusses the problems faced by homosexuals in American society due to misconceptions, fear, and bigotry. Reviews the roles of politicians, organized religion, and the press in perpetuating discrimination against homosexuals and stresses the need for gay individuals to openly declare their sexual orientation in order to dispel secrecy and…

A case study of a state university illustrates the overt and covert limitations of study and discussion of gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues on campus. Although the university is committed to the advancement of human understanding, gay, lesbian, and bisexual faculty and students feel their civil rights are threatened, and research pertaining to…