William Scherfel

PA Wingers Reject Gay Input on Diversity

Submitted by Kevin on January 5, 2007 - 3:39pm

The American Family Association of Pennsylvania is up in arms after a national group committed to ensuring safe schools for all children invited a school principal to diversity workshop. Convinced that the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network is secretly working to make Pennsylvania “similar to Massachusets,” the AFA of PA issued a press release vaguely threatening Ambridge Area Senior High School principal Alan Fritz:

“School boards and school administrators at Ambridge Area School District and beyond, need to be fully aware that it is in their best interest not to partner with homosexual organizations such as GLSEN. Pushing the acceptance of homosexuality ultimately will target the First Amendment rights of those with deeply held religious beliefs which believe that lifestyle is sinful,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA, noted.

In the press release, the AFA of PA also notes that they provided Fritz with a copy of an “anti-bullying curriculum” developed by the fervent advocate of so-called reparative therapy, Warren Throckmorton, apparently unconcerned that Throckmorton’s work to change gays and lesbians into “ex-gays” has been discredited by the likes of the American Psychological Association. Presumably, the AFA of PA hopes that Fritz will heed such sage advice as “avoid bullies and where they hang out” and “if you are in danger, RUN.”

Throckmorton’s curriculum repeatedly encourages students who are being bullied to talk to a teacher or school administrator. This, however, may be a problem for LGBT students in Ambridge Area Public Schools, some of whom are reporting a recent increase in anti-gay harassment. During a discussion of a Gay / Straight Alliance club at Ambridge Area High School in November, a school board member accused the club’s organizers of promoting a “sex club” and referred to LGBT students as “faggots.” Is it reasonable to expect LGBT students to readily report anti-gay bullying and harassment given such a vivid display of homophobia at the highest levels of school administration? Perhaps Throckmorton and the AFA of PA would prefer those students just run away.

NOTE – Dr. Throckmorton has contacted Right Wing Watch to say that he is not an advocate of "reparative” therapy. Rather, he prefers the term "reorientation" therapy. Regardless of the terminology used, no leading professional health, mental health or education organization views homosexuality as a disease and many have warned that ‘therapy’ intended to change or ‘re-orient’ a person’s sexual orientation is ineffective and potentially harmful.

PFAW

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School Board Member Refers to Students as "Faggots"

Submitted by Kevin on November 17, 2006 - 10:07am

In Pennsylvania, a high school senior named Adam Smith recently founded a gay/straight alliance club to confront anti-gay behavior and promote diversity at his school. When the local school board undertook discussion of the club last week, the Vice President of the Ambridge Area School Board may have unwittingly demonstrated how much such a club is needed. During the public meeting, William Scherfel, a former township supervisor who was elected to the school board on a promise not to build any new schools, made repeated references to the gay/straight alliance as a “sex club,” employing a bit of common right-wing spin. After a couple of school board members pointed out that his characterization of the club was inaccurate, Scherfel replied, “Ok, the faggots.”

A recent study sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), found that over 75% of self identified LGBT high school students regularly hear anti-gay hate speech at school. Even more alarming, well over one-third of these same students report having been physically harassed or assaulted in school because of their perceived sexual orientation. That same research shows that LGBT students in schools with Gay/ Straight Alliance clubs and/or supportive faculty and staff feel safer, perform better on their school work and are more likely to plan to attend college.

Scherfel now says that he does not remember calling students “faggots,” but admits the word is in his regular vocabulary because he “grew up in a different generation when certain terms were acceptable in referring to gays and other groups.” If only Scherfel’s high school had a gay/straight alliance, he may have known better. It’s not too late for Scherfel, though, Adam Smith has extended a standing invitation for him to attend his group’s meetings.