Truth Wins Out reported last week on the appointment of Bryan Lindquist, an anti-gay activist and spokesman for an anti-gay hate group, to the Anoka-Hennepin School District’s Anti-Bullying/Anti-Harassment Task Force. School Board Chair Tom Heidemann passed over several community members with LGBT-inclusive views, including Tammy Aaberg (whose son committed suicide due to the relentless anti-gay bullying he received at Anoka High School) and Jefferson Fietek (an anti-bullying trainer who also serves as faculty advisor to the local Gay-Straight Alliance), in order to name Lindquist — an outspoken proponent of “ex-gay” junk science — to the task force in the name of “diversity.”
KSTP-TV, the local ABC News affiliate, attempted to contact Lindquist, but he refused to respond. They spoke with Heidemann, who defended Lindquist’s appointment and revealed that he “had the ultimate say on who would be on the task force:”
When Heidemann was asked if he thought Lindquist was looking out for all kids, Heidemann said yes and ‘based on the testimony he’s (Lindquist) had at the board, he’s concerned about the bullying harassment of students,’ Heidemann said.
Aaberg and Thompson disagree. They’ve read and heard Lindquist’s opinion.
For example, when Lindquist was at a January school board meeting where he spoke about overcoming sexual disorders.
‘He talks about this (homosexuality) as being a disorder, it’s not,’ Thompson said.
Thompson’s daughter is an Atheist and Aaberg’s son, Justin, who was gay committed suicide.
Both women say an adult with an agenda should not be on the task force.
Predictably, by the end of the interview Heidemann had retreated into the standard religious-right talking points about how the real victims are not bullied LGBT kids, but rather, anti-gay Christians: “I think again that in order for us to be effective as an organization, we cannot exclude any person based on their religious beliefs.”
We’ll continue to bring you updates on this story as it develops. Watch the KSTP-TV report below.
