Equality California (EQCA), the state's
largest gay rights group, has accused foes of SB48 of tricking voters
into signing petitions to overturn the state's gay history law.
Governor Jerry Brown in July signed
into law the measure which mandates the inclusion of the historical
contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans in
the state's textbooks.
Starting as early as the 2013-2014
school year, Senate Bill 48 (SB48) or the FAIR Education Act,
sponsored by state Senator Mark Leno, a Democrat, requires the
California Board of Education and local school districts to include
the curriculum in their lesson plans.
Opponents reacted swiftly, submitting
ballot language to the state for a proposed referendum. The groups
have until October 12 to collect the signatures of 504,760 registered
voters to qualify for the next statewide ballot.
On Thursday, EQCA accused STOP
SB48, the group spearheading the effort to repeal the law, of
using “ugly scare tactics and lies to trick voters into signing
petitions.”
As evidence, they point to video
captured by Max Disposit of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center.
“While walking with my husband along
the beachfront of Oceanside Harbor in San Diego County, I used my
cell phone to capture video of a woman collecting signatures at a
booth that appears to be an effort to protect kids from child
molesters. I was shocked and disgusted when I realized that she was
collecting signatures for the referendum to the FAIR Education Act,”
Disposit wrote in an email to EQCA supporters.
In the clip, Disposit is heard saying
he was attracted to the booth because it was about Chelsea's Law, the
legislation signed into law last year which calls for tougher
sentences and parole conditions for sex offenders. Posters also
included references to Elizabeth Smart, the 14-year-old girl who in
2002 was abducted from her Salt Lake City, Utah bedroom. During her
9 months of captivity, Smart was repeated raped and forced to watch
pornographic films. (The video is embedded in the right panel of
this page.)