November | 2011 | TFN Insider

Monthly Archives: November 2011

‘Tis the ‘War on Christmas’ Silly Season

Twinkle lights, harried shoppers, excited kids and special church pageants aren’t the only signs that Christmas is just around the corner. ‘Tis the season also for the religious right’s silly and hyperbolic fundraising appeals warning of a mythical “War on Christmas.” Every year at this time we see a virtual avalanche of emails designed to [...]

Posted in Liberty Institute, war on Christmas nonsense | 13 Comments |


How Nasty Could Texas SBOE Elections Get?

If history is any judge, next year’s Texas State Board of Education elections could get very nasty. The image at left (click to enlarge) comes from a campaign flyer supporting Randy Stevenson in his successful election race for the board in 1994: “Homosexuality. Lesbian Adoption. Condom Usage. Do you want your children learning about this [...]

Posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Randy Stevenson, Thomas Ratliff | 5 Comments |


SBOE Candidate: Patty Quintana-Nilsson

Because of redistricting, all 15 seats on the Texas State Board of Education will be up for grabs in the November 2012 elections. The results of those elections will determine whether the religious right’s corrosive influence over public education will weaken or grow as the board considers what the next generation of public school students [...]

Posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Patty Quintana-Nilsson | 8 Comments |


The Week in Quotes (Nov. 20 – 26)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes culled from news reports from across Texas, and beyond.

Posted in The Week in Quotes | 1 Comment |


Science Back in the Crosshairs in Texas?

Just when it looked like science education might be safe for a while in Texas public schools, the State Board of Education could soon be dragging the state back into the textbook wars over evolution. At last week’s meeting in Austin, state board members began mapping out the schedule for adopting textbooks and curriculum standards [...]

Posted in Educational Research Analysts, evolution, science | 5 Comments |


SBOE Candidate: Randy Stevenson

Because of redistricting, all 15 seats on the Texas State Board of Education will be up for grabs in the November 2012 elections. The results of those elections will determine whether the religious right’s corrosive influence over public education will weaken or grow as the board considers what the next generation of public school students [...]

Posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Randy Stevenson | 2 Comments |


Perry Signs Controversial Marriage Pledge

Seeking to revive his troubled presidential campaign, Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears to have returned to a tactic he’s often used in the past: pandering to far-right groups that demonize gay families and promote intolerance and discrimination toward other favorite targets. The Des Moines Register’s political news website reports that Gov. Perry has signed a [...]

Posted in 2012 Elections, LGBT issues, Rick Perry | 9 Comments |


Progress on Sex Ed in Texas

Click Image to Enlarge Today we’re able to bring you some encouraging news on the state of sex education in Texas (for a change). The Texas Freedom Network Education Fund just released a new report that documents a surge in the percentage of school districts going beyond abstinence-only instruction to include basic information about contraception. [...]

Posted in sex education | 7 Comments |


The Week in Quotes (Nov. 13 – 19)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes culled from news reports from across Texas, and beyond.

Posted in The Week in Quotes | 6 Comments |


Take a Stand Against Hate Campaigns

Are we about to see a repeat of the hateful campaign tactics religious-righters used to win election to the Texas State Board of Education in the 1990s? Back then hundreds of thousands of dollars from San Antonio businessman James Leininger funded coordinated campaigns that claimed Democratic board incumbents supported the “radical homosexual agenda” and wanted [...]

Posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Donna Garner, George Clayton, Golden Corridor Republican Women, LGBT issues | 11 Comments |