Editor’s Note: NSFW: “Not Safe for Work” indicates a post contains graphic or offensive subject matter that would not be appropriate in certain settings (i.e. anywhere other than locked in your basement with the doors and windows shuttered). Now you know.

-Your friendly neighborhood Editors

As I sit in the airport waiting to catch my flight home, half of my sophomore year of college done and behind me, I finally have the opportunity to look into the biggest story no one is covering: Kevin Jennings’ reading habits.

Much has been written in the blogosphere over the past few days about ‘Safe School’s Czar’ Kevin Jennings–an individual whom I covered extensively a few months back. While the previous scandal has been since laid to rest, the newest round of craziness from GLSEN founder is just as insane-–if not more so.

Recently GatewayPundit ran a story about Kevin Jennings’ organization GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and the books that the organization recommends that young children read. The list is broken up into three different categories–books for kids grade K-6, 7-12, and teachers. The list of books contains literature that covers many and varied genres, from non-fiction to poetry. Supposedly the books are meant to support the stated mission of GLSEN, reproduced below.

From GLSEN’s website:

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

We believe that such an atmosphere engenders a positive sense of self, which is the basis of educational achievement and personal growth. Since homophobia and heterosexism undermine a healthy school climate, we work to educate teachers, students and the public at large about the damaging effects these forces have on youth and adults alike. We recognize that forces such as racism and sexism have similarly adverse impacts on communities and we support schools in seeking to redress all such inequities.

GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. We welcome as members any and all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or occupation, who are committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools.

That’s all well and good, except some of the books GLSEN recommends are pornographic. The book list is intended to [sic] “furthers our (GLSEN’s) mission to ensure safe schools for all students.”; ostensibly implying that children who identify themselves as homosexual should read these books as a way to empower themselves, and straight children and teachers should also read the books to come to a deeper understanding and develop a respect for their homosexual peers. On its face that is a responsible, well-intentioned goal. However, if one examines even a small sampling of the books on the list, the real goal of the suggested readings become readily apparent. GLESN is not trying to empower anyone, or raise awareness, rather they are using the facade of awareness and concern to promote their twisted hypersexualized agenda, what I can only assume is a twisted aberration of the goals that reasonable that gay men and women aspire to. As an aside, I do not think, nor am I implying that the poison that GLESN is peddling is representative of the entire gay community, rather this is a reflection on Kevin Jennings and the fanatics that staff his loony organization.

The books and the list can be accessed though a portal on their site called “BookLink“, which provides an all-in-one system for parusing and even purchasing in bulk books that teachers are encouraged to make mandatory classroom reading.

Just a few of the books on the list:

Queer 13

Being Different

Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian

The Order of the Poison Oak

Love & Sex: Ten Stories of Truth

Thus far I have been slightly obtuse in my explanation of exactly what the books contain, after the jump there will be an excerpt from one of the selected books, Queer 13. WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Read–BigGovernment

Read–GatewayPundit

Read–GLESN

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Continuing our coverage of the Kevin Jennings ordeal, new audio has surfaced today in which Obama’s “Safe Schools Czar” criticizes schools for having a pro-heterosexual stance.

Ok. So… now what?

Who is the most out of whack here? Jennings for using his 1st amendment rights to open his mouth in front of a room full of people and remove any doubt that he his a blithering idiot? Obama, for giving this guy a job that influences national policy? The rest of us for giving this guy a forum? It really is a toss up here. This guy is speaking for himself here. I refuse to say anything about the content of his remarks other than they sound kooky and conspiratorial.

Draw your own conclusions, audio after the break.

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(Image Curtsey of the AP)

Media Matters is reporting that the child in question was of legal age. I–Matt Harrington–am working with the author of this post–Graham Enos–to resolve this situation. Update below:

Hypothetical situation:

The year is 1988. You are a high school teacher in Concord, Massachusetts and one day a 15-year-old sophomore tells you that an older man he encountered in a Boston bus station restroom had sex with him.

Do you:

A. Do nothing.
B. Ask for more information about the situation, inform your superiors so that they can inform his parents, Child Protective Services and the proper Authorities.
C. Tell him to use a condom.

If you’re a normal, rational, compassionate human being, you would obviously answer ‘B’.

If you are Kevin Jennings–Obama’s “safe schools czar” and the founder of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) –you pick ‘C’.

You read that right. The guy Obama tapped–perhaps a poor choice of words–to be in charge of ensuring that children in our nations schools are safe told a kid who was sodomized that he “hoped he used a condom”. Admittedly, the young man was gay, but regardless of his sexual orientation, he was a minor who in the eyes of the law was sexually assaulted and Jennings did nothing about it. He has since apologized, admitting in a statement issued Wednesday that “Twenty one years later I can see how I should have handled this situation differently. I should have asked for more information and consulted legal or medical authorities.” Of course, where child rape is concerned hindsight is always 20/20.

This guy influences Obama’s policy decisions. How did this happen?

As more and more of Obama’s Czars are embroiled in scandals, this intrepid bloviator cannot help but wonder if anyone is actually vetting these people before they get the keys to their offices in the west wing.

Read – FoxNews

UPDATE: As mentioned above Media Matters (a highly progressive organization) has latched onto this story, as has CNN, claiming that the student in question was in fact of legal age when he approached Jennings. However, Regardless of the student’s age at the time Jennings has, by his own admission, categorically stated that he “should have handled this situation differently”.  As for the other accusations of him promoting a gay agenda in schools, I have no proof of that nor do I believe that he has or would engage in that kind of behavior. However, there have been accusations that his failure to take action in 1988 may have put a child at risk and, again, his admission that he should have done more for that child as a teacher shows that he is–at the very least–not taking his role as “safe schools czar” seriously enough. And as with the other czar scandals, eventually the facts will come out, but the accusations raised should not be taken lightly and should be seriously investigated.

We will update as the facts of this matter unfold. You can see CNN’s take on this story after the jump.
Read – Media Matters

UPDATE 2: Upon further review, the evidence Media Matters has brought forward appears to be valid, and after a lengthy examination of the facts released today the editorial staff now believe that Mr. Jennings was incorrectly accused of involvement in the coverup of statutory rape. However, due to our internal editorial rules, we are unable to redact or in any way subtract from–in whole or part–any post after it has been published, regardless of the validity of its content. As a result the post will remain on the site as it is. To that end, we also believe that further independent review of the situation is required and we will continue to cover this story, both through updates to this post and in new posts as the facts of the story are unfolded.

–The Harrington Report Editorial Staff

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