Religion, Sexual Orientation, and School Policy: How the Christian Right Frames Its Arguments

Abstract

The Christian Right opposes the inclusion of sexual orientation in school policies, charging that the schools are legitimating and promoting homosexuality. The arguments have moved past the trite, “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve,” to claims of violations of parental rights and the First Amendment, often positioning Christians as the ones who are now being discriminated against. The purpose of this study is to examine if opponents frame their arguments using language that's agreeable to the larger and more liberal public to garner more broad based support; if so, what are some examples; and to see if opponents' arguments are aligned with a Christian Right worldview. The findings of this ethnographic case study focus on the Christian Right's perceived threat to its hegemony over American social life and highlight the debate over the purposes of schooling.