Antigay bills
draw fire from California activists

Two antigay bills currently pending in the California state assembly are earning the wrath of local activists, including Equality California, a statewide LGBT organization based in San Francisco that announced its opposition to the legislation on Friday. One bill would prohibit any discussion of gay issues in public schools, while the other would compel judges to consider the "moral values," among other qualities, of a child's birth parents before allowing the child to be adopted or appointing a legal guardian for him or her. "Supporters of these bills should spend their time ensuring a safe learning environment for all California students and promoting programs to find more qualified adoptive and foster parents," Seth Kilbourn, Equality California's political director, said in a statement. "These bills are cynical attempts to divide and discriminate at a time when we should come together and focus on the best interests of all California students and children." Also pending in the California legislature are several pro-gay bills, including one that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms and instructional materials. (The Advocate)