Responses of Laura McGiffert Slover to GLAA 2004 Questionnaire
for D.C. Board of Education Candidates
| Yes/No (+/- 2) |
Substance (+/- 4) |
Record (+/- 3) |
Championship (+/- 1) |
Total (+/- 10) |
| 1.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | +2 |
1. Do you recognize the right of our public school students to organize clubs to promote lesbian and gay civil rights, to combat homophobic violence and prejudice, and to provide socializing opportunities for lesbian and gay youth?
Yes. Violence and prejudice of any kind are unacceptable. All students should feel safe at school and such clubs can help in this regard.
2. Do you recognize the right of students to bring dates of the same sex to school proms and other official public school social functions?
Yes. Students should be able to bring dates/friends/anyone they like to school functions, as long as those individuals follow stated school rules.
3. Will you oppose efforts to restrict or censor books or other materials in our public school libraries that discuss homosexuality in a positive and supportive manner?
Yes. Censorship of any kind is unacceptable-especially in schools, which are places of learning and should be teaching that "freedom of speech" is an American value-not to mention a constitutional right.
4. Do you support the efforts of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to provide gay positive books to DCPS school libraries?
Yes. As a former English teacher, I support the efforts of all groups to provide books to DCPS libraries. To learn to read well, children must read often and they should have all kinds of reading material to choose from (excluding overtly sexual material-ofany sexual persuasion).
5. Do you favor training programs for professional development of teachers, counselors, and other school system staff, such as those offered by the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL), to help these professionals to nurture positive identity formation for lesbian and gay students?
Yes. Schools should be safe environments for all students. However, I think such training should be part of a larger effort to train professionals to be tolerant of all kinds of students and all kinds of situations.
6. From time to time, D.C. public school teachers have invited openly gay men and women to speak in their classes and to answer students' questions about homosexuality. Do you support the right of our teachers to continue inviting such speakers?
No, but not because they are homosexual. Unless part of a specific sex- education class, I do not believe students should be getting spoken to about sex in school, period.
7. Do you support the condom availability program established in 1992, and operated by the Department of Health, in our public schools?
Yes.
8. Will you work to implement a comprehensive sex education program in the D.C. Public Schools that teaches that homosexuality is part of the normal range of human sexuality, consistent with existing DCPS policy?
Yes, as a member of the board I will fully support existing DCPS policy.
9. Will you oppose the use of either federal or District taxpayer funds to promote so-called "abstinence-only-until-marriage" sex education that undermines safer-sex programs by discouraging the use of condoms and that tells gay and lesbian students that they must be celibate forever because they may not legally marry?
Yes, I will oppose abstinence only programs.
10. The D.C. Human Rights Act prohibits the District from conferring any "benefit" or "advantage" to any group not fully in compliance with the D.C. Human Rights Act. Currently DCPS provides recruiting opportunities, school programs, and direct sponsorship of scout troops despite the finding of the D.C. Human Rights Commission that the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policy against gay people is illegal. Will you work to end the special benefits that the Boy Scouts receive and require that they be treated as any other outside group?
I am not sure. I do not have all the facts. I believe the Boy Scouts provide a valuable service to youth; however, I am against discrimination of any kind. I would need to look into this further.
11. Recent federal court rulings and D.C. law recognize that harassment against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students is illegal with the school system liable if harassment continues. Do you support the DCPS policy designed to stop harassment and sexual harassment?
Yes. Harassment of any kind is unacceptable. Students must feel safe in school.
12. Will you oppose both federally and locally funded voucher programs that place students in religious schools and outside the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act?
Yes, I will oppose voucher programs of any kind.
Record
Your record is part of your rating. Please list any actions that you have taken that may help illustrate your record on behalf of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders.