One common attack on HSLDA has been that its work often extends to topics that are not directly connected to the rights of homeschoolers \u2026 In the 2006\u00a0[sic],<\/span>\u00a0the group even\u00a0lobbied for<\/a>\u00a0a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. A\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0on the group\u2019s website explained that because \u201cSame-sex marriage attacks the traditions of the family in western civilization,\u201d it thus constitutes an \u201cattack on parental rights.\u201d Estrada said that the group no longer lobbies on this issue and that he did not know why it had done so then.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But today, Ryan Stollar of HARO showed that at the very least, Estrada was being very misleading in his statements<\/a>:<\/p>\n Estrada claims that HSLDA \u201cno longer lobbies on this issue.\u201d He even claims that he \u201cdid not know why it had done so then.\u201d Estrada would know:\u00a0he is HSLDA\u2019s Director of Federal Relations.<\/em>\u00a0HSLDA\u00a0says that his job is<\/a>\u00a0\u201cto serve as HSLDA\u2019s federal lobbyist.\u201d Surely HSLDA\u2019s federal lobbyist would know what HSLDA is lobbying for and why.<\/p>\n But\u00a0either Will Estrada is strangely ignorant of his own organization\u2019s agenda against same-sex marriage or he blatantly lied to Josh Israel.<\/strong><\/p>\n Note that Israel said that, \u201cIn the 2006, the group even\u00a0lobbied for<\/a>\u00a0a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0The link that Israel provided takes the viewer \u00a0to\u00a0a lobbying report filed by HSLDA in 2006<\/a>\u00a0regarding the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Look who signed it:<\/p>\n Will Estrada himself filed the report.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yet he \u201cdid not know why it had done so\u201d?<\/p>\n Furthermore, if Estrada was not sure why he himself\u00a0did so (and his organization continues to\u00a0do so), HSLDA has conveniently made public\u00a0since 2004<\/em>\u00a0an official page on their website<\/a>. It\u2019s entitled, \u201cWhy HSLDA is Fighting Against Same-Sex Marriage.\u201d It continues to exist to this day. It does not say HSLDA \u201cno longer\u201d fights same-sex marriage. Rather, it declares HSLDA continues to fight it. And the reasons are quite clear:<\/p>\n \u201cHSLDA will continue to fight against same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage attacks the traditions of the family in western civilization. This is an attack on parental rights. This is a battle the homeschooling movement cannot afford to lose.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n What of Estrada\u2019s other claim, that \u201cthe group no longer lobbies on this issue\u201d?<\/p>\n This, too, is blatantly false.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Stollar goes on to list examples of HSLDA\u2019s continuing opposition to same-sex marriage\u2014something I will get to in my \u201cThings HSDLA Opposes<\/a>\u201d series.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s get this straight. When asked about HSLDA\u2019s opposition to marriage equality, Estrada said\u00a0that the organization \u201cno longer lobbies on this issue\u201d and that \u201che did not know why it had done so [in the case of a 2006 constitutional amendment].\u201d This despite the fact that Estrada himself was the one to do the lobbying in the case of the 2006 constitutional amendment\u2014and he probably knows exactly why he did so\u2014and the fact that HSLDA continues to take a strong position against marriage equality, describing it as \u201can attack on parental rights\u201d and \u201ca battle the homeschooling movement cannot afford to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n Saying one thing to reporters and doing another thing in practice\u00a0would all be much easier for Estrada without the internet, where people can fact check his words for themselves.<\/p>\n Why is this coming up now? After all, the ThinkProgress article was published this past September. I suspect this is coming up now because of a comment Estrada made on facebook in regards to a recent New York Times article on homeschooling and regulation<\/a>. Estrada was responding to alumni calls for oversight of homeschooling (including those made by the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE) and the suggestion that HSLDA does not look out for the interests of homeschooled children.<\/p>\n Here is Estrada\u2019s comment<\/a>:<\/p>\n We\u2019re fighting for homeschool freedom for ALL kids so they can escape bad public schools. For the gay teen being bullied and his mom wants to homeschool him.<\/strong> For the Christian teen who is told she can\u2019t read her Bible. For the kids in public school who are being sexually abused (see this story:\u00a0http:\/\/www.slate.com\/\u2026\/is_sexual_abuse_in_schools_very\u2026<\/a>)<\/p>\n That catchy little slogan \u201call kids matter\u201d rings hollow because HA and CRHE do nothing to help the kids in the situations above. We do. By fighting for homeschool freedom so parents, not faceless government bureaucrats, can protect their kids.<\/p>\n Which brings us to the major difference between HA\/CRHE and HSLDA: HA\/CRHE turn to the tired old liberal position: find something wrong, and add more government regulation and laws. Whereas homeschoolers find something wrong and turn to freedom. That\u2019s why homeschool parents continue to win. Sure, HA\/CRHE will continue to get little quotes in the NYT, but it\u2019s why homeschool parents, not HA\/CRHE are winning in states like VA, PA, IL, MA, and others.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n With this statement, Estrada suggests that CRHE and HARO (Homeschool Alumni Reaching Out) are working\u00a0to prevent gay teens or children who face discrimination or abuse in the public schools from homeschooling. But this is not the case at all. Neither organization is anti-homeschooling. Check out\u00a0HARO\u2019s FAQs<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0CRHE\u2019s Mission and Vision.<\/a>\u00a0Peruse their websites and materials. Both organizations oppose irresponsible and abusive homeschooling and support responsible and healthy homeschooling.<\/p>\n This idea that CRHE and HARO \u201cdo nothing to help kids\u201d who are abused or bullied in public schools is nonsense. Both organizations support homeschooling as a way to help children in situations like this. They simply also believe that homeschooled children, too, have needs and interests, and they understand that bullying and abuse are not limited to the public school\u2014and that they can happen in homeschool settings too.<\/p>\n Again, all of this is easier to double check in the age of the internet. It\u2019s harder for Estrada to make false claims about alumni organizations when people can use google to locate those organization\u2019s websites and double check his claims.<\/p>\n And\u00a0of course, what seems to have drawn Ryan Stollar\u2019s eye is the reference to gay teens. It seems like a bit of a contradiction for HSLDA to both boast about supporting gay teens\u2019 freedom to be homeschooled and actively oppose marriage equality as a huge threat to homeschooling at the same time. And do you know what else HSLDA actively opposes? Extending the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to LGBTQ individuals<\/a>. It\u2019s as though HSLDA would say to gay teens, \u201cWe\u2019ll make sure you can be homeschooled if you\u2019re being bullied, but we\u2019re also going to do our best to make sure that employers can discriminate against you and\u00a0that you can\u2019t get married.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s also this: HSLDA founder Michael Farris has argued\u00a0passionately\u00a0that parents should have the right to subject gay teens to reparative therapy<\/a>. Leelah Alcorn was homeschooled, and subjected to reparative counseling. Where was HSLDA for her?<\/em>\u00a0And then there\u2019s this<\/a>\u00a0from sometime back on HSLDA\u2019s website:<\/p>\n The National Education Association dropped a resolution last week, which would have encouraged schools to develop a curriculum that supports the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lifestyles.\u00a0. . .<\/p>\n . . .<\/p>\n Our public schools have become a battleground where various interest groups and political entities war for our children\u2019s hearts and minds. The NEA\u2019s attempt to promote objectionable behaviors through school curriculum reminds us of why home schooling is such a valuable alternative for our children.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Yes, you read that right. Isn\u2019t the internet great?<\/p>\n Will Estrada can paint CRHE and HARO as anti-homeschooling and HSLDA as the champion of bullied gay teens, but painting it that way doesn\u2019t make it so\u2014especially when a quick internet search shows otherwise.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Will Estrada can paint CRHE and HARO as anti-homeschooling and HSLDA as the champion of bullied gay teens, but painting it that way doesn’t make it so. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":845,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[198,110],"class_list":["post-24560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hslda","tag-lgbtq"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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