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The following is an email from Joe Quigley
(Posted 12-22-01)

Today (12/21/01) while in the NWClassen School library I attempted to access
GLSEN and the filter employed by the district (WEBSENSE) denied accesss due
to its being a "Gay and Lesbian Issue". Out of curiosity I tried to access Parents and
Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG), and was denied access because "SEX" is
filtered.

The filter (WEBSENSE) is not a choice of NWClassen, but is the district's
filter.

I think people NEED to contact Bill Weitzel and Sandy Garrett to register
complaints, not only about the filtering system used, but the implication
that positive Gay and Lesbian information and resources are objectionable and
tantamout to pornography.

What an insult to us as people.

What a message to be sent to the students of this district.


I wrote the following memo to the Librarian and Principal of NWClassen, and
will forward a copy to Superintendents Weitzel and Garrett.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCESS A PAGE ON THE [NWCLASSEN LIBRARY'S] COMPUTER REGARDING POSITIVE GAY AND LESBIAN INFORMATION, I WAS REDIRECTED TO THE WARNING PAGE STATING THAT "GAY AND LESBIAN ISSUES" HAD BEEN FILTERED OUT.

THE IMPLICATION OF THIS IS THAT ALL GAY AND LESBIAN ISSUES, OR ANY
INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED, OR SOUGHT BY GAY AND LESBIAN STUDENTS, THEIR PEERS AND TEACHERS IS EQUILALENT TO PORNOGRAPHY, OR IS, AT THE LEAST, OBJECTIONABLE.

I ATTEMPTED TO, AND SUCCESSFULLY ACCESSED PAGES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO OTHER GROUPS TO WHICH OUR STUDENTS MAY BELONG WITH NO DIFFICULTY.

i STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS DISCRIMINATORY FILTERING IS NOT IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY, AS IT DENIES POSITIVE INFORMATION WHILE IMPLYING SUCH INFORMATION IS UNACCEPTABLE.

IT IS A DISSERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO CATEGORIZE POSITIVE
INFORMATION ABOUT GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE WITH PORNOGRAPHY.

I RESPECTFULY SUGGEST AND REQUEST THAT THE FILTER BE ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THIS.

I found any title that contains the word "GAY", or "LESBIAN" is labelled
either "society and lifestyle", "Gay and Lesbian Issue", or "sex" which are
victims of the filter. So, GLAAD, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, PFLAG,
GLSEN, and others cannot be accesssed, but I could access Lamda Legal and
Cimarron Alliance among some. But, then again, a student or non-Gay or
non-Lesbian who is not familiar with the actual names of political, social
rights and educational groups cannot "surf" to find them at school.
However other lifestyles like "christian" are not filtered.


People need to call and send emails about this.
joe quigley

 

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