A public school curriculum tied to the much-publicized "We Are Family" video featuring SpongeBob SquarePants and other children's characters contains no overt references to homosexuality — quite a change from what was reported to be in earlier versions of the document.
It appears the teachers guide produced in partnership with the maker of the video, the We Are Family Foundation, was cleaned up after the media reports earlier this year about the group's ties to homosexual advocacy groups.
Both the video and the guide are being sent to 61,000 schools nationwide this week.
"We were not surprised to see no mention of homosexuality in the teachers guide we reviewed, even though media who saw an earlier draft of the document noted that it contained several references to same-sex parents," said Gary Schneeberger, director of media and constituent communications for Focus on the Family.
"We can only assume the We Are Family Foundation removed those references after realizing the majority of American parents do not want such material to be foisted on their children under the guise of 'tolerance and diversity.' "
Families across the country learned of the foundation's alliances with gay-activist groups in January, after Focus on the Family Chairman Dr. James Dobson raised concerns about the video and curriculum project. Those concerns were widely misreported — the most popular version being that Dobson said SpongeBob was gay — but the truth eventually made its way out.
Once it did, the We Are Family Foundation removed most of the overtly pro-gay materials from its Web site. The content included a booklet listing several organizational "allies," including five of the largest pro-homosexual organizations in the nation: the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); the Human Rights Campaign (HRC); the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce; and Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
Also, the Web site made available earlier school lesson plans that suggested teachers ask these questions of students:
"How are you affected by homophobia?"
"How would you be affected by your sexual orientation were it different than it is now?"
"How will understanding these definitions change your thinking about compulsory heterosexuality and homophobia?
"How will it change any of your behaviors?"
As for the new teachers guide, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann reported in January that an advance copy he reviewed contained three references to same-sex parents. Those references did not make it to the final version, however.
The latest guide is produced in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, which admitted Thursday that the guide was edited in order to make it fit inside the DVD case for the video — and for no other reason.
The guide itself treats the classroom as a family, defining a family loosely as any group that is bound by love and caring for each other. Sometimes, pets and imaginary creatures are seen as family.
That, while not specifically pro-gay, is cause for concern among pro-family analysts.
"For parents who look closely at the teachers guide and DVD, it is apparent that this is yet another example of the kinds of materials intended to redefine the family," said Marc Fey, director of worldview outreach at Focus on the Family. "This curriculum has one objective — to redefine the traditional view of a family."
That's why, he added, parents must be vigilant to make sure teachers don't use the guide — even without explicit mention of homosexuality — to force pro-gay messages on their students.
There is also the issue of the Anti-Defamation League's agenda outside of the curriculum in question, which remains difficult to misinterpret. The group opposes the federal marriage amendment, and on its Web site lists "heterosexism" as an example of prejudice.
"Preschool age is the place to start in the prevention of developing prejudice," an ADL training session brochure states. The group obviously views biblical teaching on sexuality as prejudice.
Despite that, Schneeberger said, it is no small victory for family advocates that the curriculum connected to the "We Are Family" video is devoid of such an overt agenda.
"The ADL and the We Are Family Foundation are entitled to believe whatever they want about homosexuality," he said. "But they are not entitled to force those beliefs on to schoolchildren, and in this case it appears they have not done so -- at least not overtly."
"Our hope is that this represents a permanent change of philosophy. Pro-family groups will be watching to see if that is indeed the case."
