State Rep. Jane Cunningham is concerned

The former Ladue Education Board member sent a memo to House colleagues to share "something of great concern" to her - an ad in the Ladue School's principal's newsletter announcing that members of the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) are preparing for the 4th Annual GSA Convention to be held at Ladue Horton Watkins High School on Wednesday, March 16.

Jeanette Mott Oxford's reply

May 3, 2005
To: House Colleagues and Staff
From: Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford

RE: memo about Gay-Straight Alliance Convention

In response to Rep. Jane Cunningham's memo about the principle's newsletter which announced a Gay-Straight Alliance Convention, I would like to offer my own perspective. As Missouri's first out lesbian legislator, I had been asked to address the March 16 convention mentioned in that memo, but was unable to attend due to my duties here in the Missouri House. I hope to have another opportunity to visit with them, perhaps this fall.

I have met people who fear that young people will become gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB) if they receive any positive information about homosexuality. This is the stereotype that led Ellen DeGeneres' television show to include the joke about winning a toaster oven each time you "recruit" a new gay person.. Sexual orientation is a very complex human characteristic, and the positive or negative information that we receive certainly impacts on the ways we feel about ourselves and the behaviors we choose, but I have not yet found evidence that it determines one's affectional or sexual orientation.

Since we live in a heterosexist society, all of us receive many negative messages about GLB persons, including children who may later learn that one of these labels applies to them. (Transgender is not a sexual orientation, so I will not deal with that issue in this memo.) Unfortunately the abundance of messages of condemnation and hatred that GLB youth receive can lead to self-destructive behaviors like:
- smoking (almost 60% of GLB youth use tobacco products - I have theories about why if you're interested)
- unsafe sexual activities
- suicidal thoughts

At supportive organizations like Gay-Straight Alliance and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) GLB youth will encounter good role models from the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight allies community. They will receive information about dangers that are caused by high risk behaviors and be encouraged to take good care of themselves. Some will also find a family of support to comfort and care for them after being rejected by blood relatives. This helps prevent homelessness and the many dangers that can befall GLB youth who are forced to live on the street - hunger, violent crime, sexual exploitation, etc. They also may find supportive congregations to surround them with care if they are rejected by the faith communities in which they were reared.

I wish that a Gay-Straight Alliance had existed at the high school that I attended 1968-72. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with any of you who may be interested.