Did your child actually attend the meeting? And if so, what was the content that you are referring too that is being labeled anti gay? Would be helpful if you actually have posted the content rather then putting this comment out there with nothing backing it up. The fish club is a non denomination Christian club that is open to anyone. Please follow up with the anti gay message that your child is referring to.

So what's your point? It might be there opinion that homosexuality immoral and it is their right to speak up just as the gays feel they have the right to do and do have. It's a wonderful country to have a constitution.

You should confirm it actually happened otherwise you are just spreading rumors.

How dare these students form a club open to anyone based on their right to religious freedom. I'm also furious that there are Asian and Latin American student clubs when all students aren't Asian and Latin
American with "the atmosphere of acceptance the school tries to promote".

Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? The purpose of school clubs is to allow students the freedom to join, or not, based on their own interests. The fact that these clubs are open to anyone demonstrates the acceptance you claim is missing.

And yes, do your homework next time instead of just accusing children of being hateful. You posted an inflammatory claim on here to create hype and stir the pot when you have no idea what the content of the "lecture" you claim preached about exclusion and a lack of acceptance.

Someone wants to create drama.

You have a valid concern and some "homework" to do to find out as best you can what happened and what to do going forward. You may need more detail on the situation from your child as another poster suggested. Find out more about this organization. Ask for who is in charge and if they have meeting agendas, club info, website, etc. It sounds like the situation made your child uncomfortable. Follow up on that and speak to your child about how to handle situations when confronted with different opinions. I have heard of this club and have the general knowledge that it is a non denominational Christian club but that is all I know.

@Pete,

"and it is their right to speak up..."

Not at public schools. If a group of students had an opinion that certain races were inferior to others, they wouldn't be allowed to speak at school. It would be the same if a student group that that marriage between races was immoral. They wouldn't be allowed to express that opinion at school either. That is a good thing.

BobB

Better check the most recent SCOTUS ruling pertaining to free speech on schools. As long as it does not incite violence it's ok.

I don't know the facts as I wasn't there. The fact that several children came home concerned that a group was purposely invited into a meeting to be made uncomfortable does concern me. I don't need to know the facts to feel concerned.
I would like to see this defused by with a statement from the Principal of Amador.

@ silly girl- what do you mean a group was purposely invited to a meeting to be made uncomfortable?? Please elaborate on your comment.

The two reports from students I heard was that the Straight Gay alliance was invited into this meeting. Again, I don't know facts from rumor.

interesting that you would post something that is a rumor. First off it is called the Gay Straight Alliance, second of all if they were invited, then this whole rumor about "a strong anti-gay message" is quite comical given that the Gay Straight Alliance is a student-run club, typically in a high school or middle school, which provides a safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and work to end homophobia and transphobia. So can someone please explain to me what the "strong anti gay message" was?

@Petr,

I don't know what SCOTUS ruling you're talking about, but you must be thinking about college, not high school. If a group of students tried to set up a chapter of the KKK at AVHS, they would be run off campus in a heartbeat.

@BB,

You are wrong. Any Muslim club that advocated for the "killing" of "Christians, gays, Jews" would be thrown off campus in a heartbeat.

@"AVHS Parent",

I googled it and found this:

Web Link

There's probably more information out there if you have the time to look.

My child came home pretty upset about this. As a Christian she felt that the man was doing so much harm. She said that the speaker compared homosexuals to drug addicts and told them if they are feeling that way to go to Jesus and be cured. I am fine with religious clubs in the schools. We have to protect our kids from proselytizing. We love God and we respect those who feel the way this man does but we don't find any reason to condemn people who were born gay. We love them and do not feel they are less. I am shocked and saddened that this was allowed in a public high school. Guests who have even the most remote possibility of promoting bigotry and hate (especially in the name of God) should be properly vetted by administration before being allowed near my child. She is a strong and smart girl and she is absolutely heartbroken by the pain this has caused.

"The fish club is a non denomination Christian club that is open to anyone."

LOL seems like an oxymoron statement to me. Non-denomination and a Christian club? All these places of worship are, are a place where formalized external direction is nonexistent.

Parents should be concerned if a man was invited on campus to spew hate messages, comparing the LGBTQ community to drug addicts. Public schools are suppose to be a safe place for learning, especially in a town like Pleasanton. Some many people. especially religious people, seem think something is wrong with gay people; that they were molested or raised around gay people and there is an agenda. Wrong, there is no agenda.

The school put these kids in a tough spot - they are still kids, and most don't have fully formed opinions about a lot of things yet. Plus they are in a place where what they hear from adults all day long is supposed to taken at face value in the name of learning.
To prove this just look at how so many kids in the Middle East are taught to hate at an early age - gays included.
I hope a lesson is learned from this.

I'm thankful to see some empathetic comments on this topic after feeling attacked by Susie yesterday.

I ask myself, "what would Jesus do?".......in reading the above posts.

Jesus would love....unconditionally.....
Jesus/God/Holy Spirit.....Accepts ALL people.....unconditionally.

I also ask myself..........,"Who am I to judge"?....(that's a borrowed phrase from many inspirational figures).

High School clubs are instrumental in giving support to students who's support system is nonexistent. This can be powerful and healing to students who are searching for a place to be themselves, inside and out.

I have no idea what occurred during this meeting, but if there was an invited guest who's message contained even an infinitesimal amount on bigotry or negativity towards any other race, gender, ethnicity or religion........

The questions must to be asked to all Christians.........What would Jesus do?

And to all human beings.......

Who are we to Judge?

The school is dealing with this situation. Unless you were there or know what happened, please don't add to the rumor mill.

I'm sorry what did you say? Did you suggest that the author of this post should get more information before posting and starting rumors? Humm That is a very good suggestion for the Pleasanton Weekly Journalists and Town Square. Much of what I read on these blogs or in this paper is rumors. It's too bad that more digital citizenship is not exercised. Here is the deal. Don't believe everything you read on these misinformed blogs. Until the Pleasanton Weekly requires that only registered users post, then people will continue to irresponsibly complain in the Town Square posts. In the meantime, kids and community members are negatively effected. It's time to start asking for the Pleasanton Weekly to stop this rumor mill. It's time for the posters on Town Square to have more integrity. No one will post there name, myself included, because it's all a gossip column.

PS Don't be surprised if this comment doesn't last long on this thead. It's curious how certain posts are deleted.

To Rumorville:
How would you suggest that I get the facts? I did call the school and informed them of this dialogue on the Weekly, and suggested they post something to get in front of it, and that I was concerned about my children being upset in that they felt that a group was bullied.

I've always thought non-denomination was different 'Christian' groups, like protestant Methodists, and very different Catholics,(and maybe Unitarian). Jewish practices are very different from Catholic practices.

I don't think any 'individual' religions should be mentioned in High school..sort of like politics. It usually doesn't go well., It takes some 'life' experiences to actually understand either one fully. Politics maybe a bit earlier since inexperienced, non-taxpaying, children are allowed to vote. (which is WHY some groups Want them to vote). Nothing quite like malleable minds to manipulate as you wish. That includes teachers and parents controlling a bit too tightly on their own personal beliefs.

So...after all this do we actually know what was said and what was so offensive, other than rumors and speculations?

I HATE THESE BLOGS!!! What a horrible waste of time and energy. Even the most calm posts quickly dissolve into something nasty. The feeling of "anonymity" turns people mean and hateful. Let's do something positive for our community and ask the Weekly to require people to register before posting. WE don't allow anonymous editorial comments to run in the paper so I don't understand why we do so online. What a horrible example we are setting for our youth. I wonder how some of you would feel if your children read the things you post.

if the gay community were more accepting of non gay people they might get more acceptance. The cold hard fact is the gay community does not want to be accepted but they want you to condone and actively participate in their life style and if you dont you are a horrible person. Now watch the hate come out. We post anonymously because the nuts will come and really attack you. I think its just a matter of time before someone shows up at another's house and really create problems look what happened to JV. They didnt like him or what he said and they ruined his life. Unfortunately America has changed people can not handle an opinion they disagree with. Look at Texas. Their really should be no debate. Our county was founded on free speech, however many think attempted murder is justified because they provoked the others. I wonder did our founding fathers provoke the British?
whats funny is if you hate these blogs why are you on here?
expect this thread to be closed. The pw does not like my comments because they can not handle the truth. they closed the Jv thread to only registered users go see how many posts they get now very few. effectively shutting down the conversation

Again, pleasanton was nice forty years ago shows how he peaked forty years ago. You sound old and stuck. The world has moved forward yet he remains lost in past ideologies. It's sad when you have nothing to enjoy about the present or nothing to look forward to.

"Pleasanton was nice" also once claimed that the air in Pleasanton was better in the 1960's than it is now, which runs counter to claims of other Pleasanton old-timers as well as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). Hard for some people to believe but, no, everything was not better in the "good old days".

"While air pollution continued to worsen during the 1960s—with the poorest air quality ever recorded in the Bay Area occurring in 1969—the automotive and industrial controls adopted in the early 60s set the stage for the great improvements in air quality in decades to come."
BAAQMD: Web Link

I was here also Damon and the air was better back then and people were more tolerant of others or just kept their mouths shut. Either way a better place to live.

@Pete: "I was here also Damon and the air was better back then...."

I think that you're probably seeing the past through rose-colored glasses, since the old-timer below disagrees with you and he seems to know what he's talking about.

.............................
Posted by Cleaner Tri-Valley
a resident of Amador Estates
on Oct 8, 2012 at 8:41 am

You short-timers have no clue how bad the air was in Tri-Valley in the sixties. If you were standing on Stanley next to the gravel pits, now called Shadow Cliffs, in the month of August you would not see the Pleasanton ridge due to smog. It was that bad.

The amazing thing is that adults would call it haze and never had a clue it was man-made smog. It was "normal." Your lungs hurt.
..................................

Pleasanton Weekly: Web Link

Damon, don't know who the guy is but have lived in the area since the early 60's and can tell you there was not a problem with air quality. There were not many folks living in the tri valley area and no traffic. The only way to get out here was through Niles Canyon or down 84 which was o ly one lane and with no guard rails

@sad is that the name your parents gave you because they hit the nail on the head. Sounds like you are prejudice against old people. You assume things that are not true that were not said. You can make up anything you want but that does not make it so. Me thinks you are talking about yourself. Can you say freudian slip @ Damon you do not have a clue as to what you are talking about The Air quality in the valley was much better in the 60's and 70's then it is now that is a fact. You are a moron to think that the increase in population does not decrease the quality of the air in the valley. I slowly watched the air quality in the valley decline year by year. You are living in a fantasy land. In the sixties and even in the early seventies you could drive down the 580 to Livermore and not see another car. So where was all the pollution coming from back then global warming? Damon if you believe everything the government tells you you are dumber than you sound. Go read Damons post on the jv fiasco and see how cluless this guy really is. Hey i hear the air was worse in the valley in the 1700's than it is now. Give me a break Try to apply some common sense damon, oh sorry asking for something you can never deliver on. I will bet you dollars to doughnuts you can not find another person who lived in the valley back then who agrees with you. Unless of course you get your info at stoneridge creek in the memory care unit.

@sad is that the name your parents gave you because they hit the nail on the head. Sounds like you are prejudice against old people. You assume things that are not true that were not said. You can make up anything you want but that does not make it so. Me thinks you are talking about yourself. Can you say freudian slip @ Damon you do not have a clue as to what you are talking about The Air quality in the valley was much better in the 60's and 70's then it is now that is a fact. You are a moron to think that the increase in population does not decrease the quality of the air in the valley. I slowly watched the air quality in the valley decline year by year. You are living in a fantasy land. In the sixties and even in the early seventies you could drive down the 580 to Livermore and not see another car. So where was all the pollution coming from back then global warming? Damon if you believe everything the government tells you you are dumber than you sound. Go read Damons post on the jv fiasco and see how cluless this guy really is. Hey i hear the air was worse in the valley in the 1700's than it is now. Give me a break Try to apply some common sense damon, oh sorry asking for something you can never deliver on. I will bet you dollars to doughnuts you can not find another person who lived in the valley back then who agrees with you. Unless of course you get your info at stoneridge creek in the memory care unit.

I can't speak for earlier than 1978, but smog in the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland) was definitely worse in 1978 than now. The main reason is all the smog controls on cars. You can have a lot more cars on the road if cars are cleaner and still get cleaner air. I can't really say how much came over the hills to Pleasanton because I didn't come through here enough back then. Probably someone could look this up.

Here's an old article (2002) from a right-wing think tank that shows the decrease in air pollution across America from the seventies to the current century.

Web Link

The air has gotten cleaner since.

I was at the meeting. The GSA was invited into it, and that was completely wrong. Freedom of expression, speech, and religion; fine. But when you invite a group of people into a place where you are going to make them feel unsafe, that's not okay.

Who was the faculty advisor that was supposed to be at this meeting? All clubs have to have a faculty advisor - so who was in charge of this meeting? And why didn't they shut it down immediately?

I would not want my child in this teacher's classroom. They allowed hate to be shared in a place that is supposed to be safe. Incredibly poor judgement.

Hi - To all the students that were at that meeting, and to all the others reading this that REALLY want to know about how Christians feel about homosexuality, I urge you to check out the Gay Christian Network at www.gaychristian.net.

Be the "you" that God created you to be. You are loved and accepted. Not all so called "Christians" are hateful people.

Also, read the book "Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gay's vs. Christians Debate."


I'm sickened that this message was spread at Amador. Disgusting.