Content request causes controversy 






 By Graham K. Johnson 

gjohnson@kansan.com 

Kansan staff writer 

Controversy surrounding the request for homosexual and bisexual content 
of courses at universities may be just a tempest in a teapot. 

The legislative request for information on the number and description of 
university courses with homosexual or bisexual content has elicited a 
reaction from homosexual and liberal oriented groups, and some have 
established web sites devoted to protesting the request as an attack on 
homosexuals. 

A response also has come from educators who have denounced the request 
as an infringement upon academic freedom. 

But Judy Smith, area director for Concerned Women for America, said that 
protests and strong reactions were not warranted. 

³I feel like they might be pushing the panic button a little soon,² 
Smith said. ³It“s a little bit thin to be interpreting this as an attack 
on academic freedom when all people are doing is requesting 
information.² 

Smith said she thought it was ironic that educators were reacting so 
negatively to the request for information. 

³They of all people should be for freedom of speech and information 
because that benefits them,² Smith said. 

Michael Welton, executive director of the Christian Coalition“s Kansas 
affiliate, said that an important issue in the request controversy 
revolved around how public funds were being spent. 

³It sounds like a legitimate question, if you are a legislator, to ask 
what is being taught with tax-payer dollars,² Welton said. 

Smith agreed. She said that while homosexuality was a legitimate topic 
of study, the concern among some legislators might be that excessive 
study could cross the line into advocacy of homosexuality as a 
lifestyle. 

³If that were the line that was crossed, that would be a concern because 
the universities are being supported by tax dollars,² Smith said. 

Both Smith and Welton declined to say whether their groups would support 
an effort to restrict funding to universities whose courses bordered on 
advocacy of homosexuality or bisexuality. 

³Not having seen the courses, I would have to reserve my opinion on 
that,² Smith said. ³I really don“t know what is being taught.² 

³I think it is a tempest in a teapot until you understand the context of 
the whole situation,² Smith said. ³We have no idea why this was 
requested.² 

Research requests are confidential said Ben Barret, Director of the 
Legislative Research Department. 

³We don“t ask where they get the ideas,² Barret said. ³It“s none of our 
business. Whatever the legislators ask us to do, we do.²