For the sixth year in a row the NEA’s Ex-Gay Educators Caucus is sharing their ex-gay perspectives at the National Educational Association’s Representative Assembly. The ex-gay perspective was first heard on the Assembly floor in 2002 when Jeralee Smith took her turn on the floor microphone and told the delegates that she was an ex-gay and the portrayal of the homosexual life by the convention’s gay activists was not her experience. Her experience in homosexuality was not a happy one and she chose to no longer identify as a lesbian. Jeralee was also concerned that students were not being told they have alternatives to accepting their same-sex attractions. Her topic of concern was immediately moved to object and consider status and the NEA refused to discuss Jeralee’s concerns for two years.

In 2002 Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays were refused an exhibit at an NEA expo and filed a complaint against the NEA. The threat of a lawsuit the NEA knew it would lose resulted in the NEA eventually recognizing the ex-gay perspective, however unwillingly. The NEA Ex-gay Educators Caucus came out the Conservative Educators Caucus as the result of more and more actions by the NEA supporting gay political agendas. Some of the most powerful liberal caucuses in the NEA still do not want to recognize the ex-gay perspective and according to Jeralee it has been difficult getting ex-gays elected as delegates to the NEA Assembly with the NEA’s pro gay bias. The Ex-Gay Educators Caucus along with the Conservative Educators Caucus has attempted numerous times to get conservatives on the NEA’s sexual orientation committees and so far all attempts have failed.

The exhibit the Ex-gay Caucus sets up each year displays a large banner which says “EX-GAY Educators Caucus.” Over 10,000 professional educators are expected to attend this year’s NEA Representative Assembly on the San Diego waterfront this July.

Thomas Coy
Ex-gayTruth.com publisher