NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 6, 2005

EQUALITY MARYLAND
Contact: Lawrence S. Jacobs, President
Phone:    Office 301-738-8220
Cell    301-455-3956
Email:  LSJ@lsjlaw.com

EQUALITY MARYLAND URGES MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO STICK BY DECISION TO TEACH THE FACTS

Judge's Ruling Preventing Implementation of Sex Ed Curriculum Ignores The Truth

Silver Spring - Equality Maryland, Maryland's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) advocacy organization, criticized an ill-conceived ruling and restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. yesterday. That ruling temporarily prevents Montgomery County Public Schools from implementing a new sex education pilot program that includes factual discussions of homosexuality. Judge Williams ruled that the curriculum was not inclusive of 'alternative points of view' on the issue, citing the omission of the experience of "former gays" from the curriculum.

"Montgomery County's Board of Education is simply interested in teaching the facts and Equality Maryland urges the superintendent to vigorously defend the rights of Montgomery County students to hear those facts," said Equality Maryland President Larry Jacobs, a Rockville lawyer and former Chair of the Montgomery County Human Relations Commission. "Citing so-called 'conversion therapy' or 'reparative therapy' as a reason to prevent discussions of homosexuality is like demanding a discussion of Genesis before evolution can be taught in Biology."

"Conversion therapy" is opposed by all of the major mental health and medical professional associations, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the American Psychiatric Association, negative health outcomes of "conversion" therapy include depression, anxiety, self-destructive behavior, sexual dysfunction, avoidance of intimacy, loss of faith and spirituality, and the reinforcement of internalized homophobia and self-hatred.

"'Conversion' therapy is a tool used by ultra right-wing religious organizations to raise money and advocate for the denial of basic legal protections for gay and lesbian people," said Jacobs. "It is a shame that a judge from outside of the County can choose to ignore our County's long tradition of tolerance for those who are different and the laws we have had protecting gay people from discrimination for more than twenty years."