March 26, 2014
Çortlanh (©baeruci
Page 9
Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the
Portland Observer We welcome reader essays, photos and
story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com.
Peddling Anti-LGBT Hate in Other Countries
No one should
be proud of
these exports
by P eter M ontgomery
In Arizona, Gov. Jan
Brewer has vetoed a bill
that would have written
anti-gay discrimination into
state law in the name of religious
freedom.
In Uganda, President Yoweri
Museveni signed an even more
extrem ist law that sentences
LGBT people to life in prison
and punishes pro-equality advo­
cacy with long prison terms.
What do these laws and oth­
ers like them have in common?
They’re both the work of anti­
gay religious conservatives, who
are now marketing the homopho­
bia that is growing less popular in
the U.S. in foreign countries.
And they’re increasing perse­
cution and violence against les­
b ia n , g ay , b is e x u a l, and
transgender people all over the
world.
And in Nigeria and Uganda,
those new laws un­
leashed vigilante vio­
lence.
One leading U.S.
h o m o p h o b ia e x ­
porter is Scott Li vely,
author of a book that
claims homosexuals
were responsible for the rise of
the Nazis in Germany. Most
Americans haven’t heard of him.
But Lively (a former Oregon
resident who was a political
player in anti-gay initiatives here
a decade ago) has spent years
traveling in Africa, Russia, and
Eastern Europe, where he has
met with legislators, law enforce­
ment officials, and others in a
position to spread his deadly
m essage.
In co u n try after co u n try ,
Lively claims that gay people
want to “recruit” children and
destroy faith and freedom.
Sadly, Lively is far from alone.
In the documentary “God Loves
Uganda,” American evangelist
Lou Engle is seen at a rally
promoting the anti-gay bill and
saying he was called to stand
with the church in Uganda as it
stands for “rig h te o u s n e ss.”
While some conservatives said
the bill went too far, the Family
Research Council ’ s Tony Perkins
called the legislation “an effort
to uphold moral conduct.”
A m ong those who backed
N igeria’s law w hile it was be­
ing considered was the Liberty
C ounsel’s M att Barber, who
d erid ed EU “h o m o fa sc ists”
who criticized legislative ap­
proval o f a sim ilar law a few
years ago.
While Russia uses its anti-gay
law to punish dissenters andjour-
nalists, American religious right
activists have praised it and
gushed about strongman presi­
dent Vladimir Putin.
A large number of U.S. social
conservatives will be heading to
Moscow in September for the
2014 summit of the World Con­
gress of Families.
They’re ecstatic about work­
ing with the Russian govern­
ment. Last year, the W C F’s
managing director said, “The
Russians might be the Christian
saviors of the world.”
Similarly, the American Fam­
ily Association’s Bryan Fischer
called Putin “the lion of Chris­
tianity, the defender of Christian
values, the president that’s call­
ing his nation back to embracing
its identity as a nation founded
on Christian values.”
Frankly, that’s embarrassing.
What should also be embar­
rassing is the habit these activ­
ists have of portraying them­
selves as victims of religious
persecution. They could learn
what persecution looks like from
LGBT activists in Russian jails
and teens who are tortured and
humiliated online. Or from Nige­
rians facing flogging, mob vio­
lence, and death sentences in
Sharia courts. Or from Ugan­
dans who fear being hunted and
are forced to flee their country.
And from LGBT teens around
the world who face diminished
futures thanks to the hostility
and discrimination encouraged
and funded by American reli­
gious groups.
Meanwhile lots of religious
right leaders claim they aren’t
anti-gay. They say they love gay
people and are simply asking for
“live and let live” policies.
Yet many of these people
travel the world, falsely equat­
ing hom osexuality with pedo­
p h ilia , d e n o u n c in g L G B T
people as enem ies o f faith,
fam ily, and freedom , and de­
fending laws that m ake gay
people crim inals.
No one should be proud of
peddling these toxic and fre­
quently deadly exports.
Peter Montgomery is a se­
nior fellow at People fo r the
American Way Foundation.
Distributed via OtherWords
( OtherWords.org).
Common Core and Closing the Achievement Gap
Critics unfairly
characterize
new standards
by
M arc H.
M orial
Sixty years
after the land­
mark Brown
v. B oard o f
Education rul­
ing e n d in g se g re g a tio n in
A m erica’s public schools, sepa­
rate and unequal is still a perva­
sive reality. While de jure, or
legal segregation has been abol­
ished, de facto, or the actual
practice of segregation, is greater
now than it was 40 years ago.
Black and brown students are
less likely to share classrooms
with white students. We also
see separate and unequal levels
of expectations and resources in
our schools that continue to break
down along the color line. The
unfortunate result of all of this is
a widening achievem ent gap
between the races.
The achievement levels of stu­
dents of color, especially those
burdened with the economic and
social disadvantages of poverty,
are falling further and further
behind their white peers, even as
our entire nation loses ground
globally. This is a recipe for eco­
nomic and social disaster, but it
can be avoided if we make clos­
ing the achievement gap a na-
mation that has been used to
create confusion and distort the
facts around Common Core for
math and English language arts
that are now being implemented
in most states.
The National Urban League
supports this historic reform,
largely because it is geared to
Education is not only the civil
rights issue o f our times, it is also
increasingly the fault line that will
determine winners and losers in the
global economy.
tional priority, guided by a com ­
mitment to a common set of
principles.
That is a commitment that 45
states (including Oregon and
Washington) and the District of
Columbia have made with the
adoption of Common Core State
Standards - that all students will
have the same expectations for
learning regardless of their zip
codes.
In a recent column, I aimed to
clear up much of the misinfor-
I
better prepare all students for
college and the jobs of today and
tomorrow. Higher standards for
every student, implementation
that is resourced equitably, in­
struction based on real-world
problem-solving rather than rote
learning, and clear and consis­
tent expectations will also help
close the widening achievement
gap between races and economic
classes. These standards are also
benchmarked against interna­
tional standards.
The latest National Assess­ college and career ready stan­
ment of Educational Progress dards, but the Common Core
study finds that only 16 percent State Standards alone cannot
of black students are reading at close the achievement gaps in
or above grade level compared our nation.
with 44 percent of white stu­
Achieving equity and excel­
dents, a gap of 28 percent. At lence in education requires an
the same time, the achievement approach which also includes
gap betw een students in the reducing income inequality and
United States and their Euro­ poverty, equalizing public school
pean and Asian peers is also funding, and supporting greater
widening.
parental involvement.
A c c o rd in g
to
2012
We recognize that there have
Program m e for International been implementation challenges
Student Assessment results, stu­ with Common Core that need to
dents in 25 other countries are be addressed. We know that the
doing better than American stu­ resources, tools and training need
dents in math, while 16 other to be in place to meet the prom ­
countries exceed U.S. achieve­ ise o f these standards. Once
ment levels in reading.
these implementation wrinkles
Clearly, we must do better, are ironed out, we believe that
and implementing the Common over time, a com m itm ent to
Core is an initial step we can higher standards for every stu­
take. Education is not only the dent will go a long way towards
civil rights issue of our times, it is closing the achievement gap.
also increasingly the fault line
As long as critics unfairly
that will determine winners and characterize and misrepresent
losers in the global economy.
Common Core State Standards,
We will not be able to close we will continue to work to re­
the achievement gap if we con­ place confusion with clarity.
tinue to have different expecta­
Marc H. Morial is president
tions for different students. All and chief executive officer o f
students should have access to the National Urban League.