I’m not sure why Lexington, of all the wealthy, progressive, suburban towns around Boston, has become such a flashpoint in the culture war over gay families.
In Newton, a few miles south of Lexington, an activist named Brian Camenker has been fighting a losing war against any mention of homosexuality or gay families in the school system since the early ’90s. For Camenker, the battle has resulted in public humiliation and bankruptcy, and no progress for his cause in the ultra-progressive Newton schools.
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I was a student teacher in a Newton public school in 1992-1993. Camenker’s group was campaiging against sex education, in general. I’m glad they didn’t accomplish their goals, but I can tell you, they certainly had an effect. They put a lot of teachers and administrators under a lot of stress, and constricted the development of sex ed curriculum. They didn’t make progress of their own, but they certainly restrained progress that could’ve been made by the school system, at least for a while.
Interesting point. Did you come into contact with any of them while you were there?
Just hanging out in the teacher’s lounge, discussing what they weren’t allowed to talk to kids about, or what Camenker’s latest antics were, or what trouble had befallen one teacher or another over the past year.
I can imagine the stress that people like Camenker can cause. Teachers, in particular, have a lot to deal with already. Throw someone into the mix who seems completley uninterested in being civil, and you’ve got a really nasty situation.
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Anyway, I’d love to be able to just ignore a guy like this, but with my marriage in the crosshairs, I’m in the unfortunate position of having to take him at least somewhat seriously.