217 Recommended reading list for school children includes Gay themes, child porn

(1) White women stop breastfeeding sooner than women from ethnic minorities
(2) Pregnancy: grounds for court-martial, for US soldiers in war zone
(3) India's Supreme Court asks the government to legalise prostitution
(4) CAIRO + 5 UN Review: no mention of Population Explosion - that's seen as Right-Wing
(5) Recommended reading list for school children includes Gay themes, child porn
(6) FEMALE teacher jailed for sex with boys
(7) Australian Greens promote same-sex marriage Bill

(1) White women stop breastfeeding sooner than women from ethnic minorities

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8480778.stm

Page last updated at 00:31 GMT, Wednesday, 27 January 2010

C-sections 'do not affect how long a mum breastfeeds'

White mothers stop breastfeeding sooner than women from ethnic minorities

Having a Caesarean or instrumental birth does not appear to impact upon how long a mother breastfeeds, British research suggests.

A study of 2,000 mothers who received breastfeeding support also found little association with how soon after birth the baby was put to the breast.

What did have an impact was ethnicity, and the number of previous births, the study in BMC Pediatrics reported.

White mothers were 70% more likely to stop than non-White contemporaries.

The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life, but the majority of UK mothers have abandoned it altogether by this point - giving the country one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe.

There have been a series of measures aimed at increasing prevalence, from better support to a ban on any promotion of infant milks.

This latest study, conducted by the University of Manchester and East Lancashire Primary Care Trust, followed more than 2,000 mothers who all received breastfeeding help from the same peer support group, to enable a fair comparison of other factors.

Bucking the trend

On average these supported mothers were giving some breastmilk for 21 weeks, and half of them for more than 27 weeks, markedly higher than the national average. But there were differences between sub-groups.

White women tended to stop a number of weeks before non-white, with mothers of black and Indian ethnic origin breastfeeding the longest, closely followed by Pakistani.

But the relative economic status of the women made no difference, with the poorest as likely to continue or abandon breastfeeding as the wealthiest, nor did it matter whether the mothers were married.

Having an instrumental or Caesarean birth had no statistically significant impact on the duration of breastfeeding, contrary to some suggestions that a "non-natural" birth, possibly as a result of the analgesics used, may hamper feeding.

Also babies who were put to the breast within an hour of being born - as recommended by the World Health Organisation - were not breastfed any longer than those with whom breastfeeding was initiated within 48 hours.

Previous deliveries

The study did however find that the number of babies a mother had previously delivered impacted upon breastfeeding duration, with women having their third or fourth baby more likely to continue than those having their first.

The study's authors noted that while breastfeeding support was clearly important in mitigating a number of obstacles to prolonged feeding, there were other factors at play.

Dr Gabriel Agboado of East Lancashire PCT said: "The results suggest that infant feeding practices associated with maternal ethnicity and previous experience of having children may be more difficult to influence by peer support interventions.

"Peer support programs, particularly those in multi-ethnic settings, will need to identify the needs of their various client groups in order to appropriately support them to breastfeed longer".

Professor Mary Renfrew, who researches infant feeding practices, said: "We know that rates are higher among ethnic minority groups and that previous experience of breastfeeding has an effect on whether the mother does it again, and the study confirms this.

"But what is really exciting about this research is the rates of breastfeeding - both exclusive and mixed - that have been achieved among all groups. They are doing something right in this area, and it does seem to point to peer support, although there may be other factors involved.

"Tailored support is recommended for all mothers, but some places have been much more pro-active on this front than others. When people say you simply cannot get breastfeeding rates up, it's clear there are policies which can have an effect."

Sue Ashmore, head of Unicef's UK Baby Friendly Initiative said: "evidence shows that women are more likely to breastfeed if they are supported by someone who believes they can do it. This is the point of peer support programs.

"In the UK peer support work is varied, and therefore the results are varied. It is vital that robust monitoring and evaluation processes are in place so that strengths and weaknesses can be identified and addressed; this would lead to a more successful peer support programs nationwide."

(2) Pregnancy: grounds for court-martial, for US soldiers in war zone

http://www.smh.com.au/world/general-declares-war-on-pregnancy-20091220-l7jq.html

General declares war on pregnancy

Date: December 21 2009

WASHINGTON: A US Army general in Iraq has added pregnancy to the list of reasons a soldier under his command could be court-martialled.

The policy, outlined last month by Major-General Anthony Cucolo, would apply to female soldiers who become pregnant while deployed in combat zones and the male soldiers who impregnate them.

Civilians reporting to General Cucolo also could face criminal prosecution under the guidelines.

General Cucolo told the BBC: ''I've got a mission to do; I'm given a finite number of soldiers with which to do it and I need every one of them.''

An army spokesman, George Wright, said the service typically sends home from the battlefield soldiers who become pregnant. It is not an army-wide policy to punish them under the military's legal code, he said. However, division commanders, such as General Cucolo, have the authority to impose restrictions on personnel under their command, Mr Wright said.

General Cucolo oversees forces in northern Iraq, an area that includes the cities of Kirkuk, Tikrit and Mosul.

General Cucolo's order outlines about 20 barred activities. Most are aimed at keeping order and preventing criminal activity, such as selling a weapon or taking drugs. But others seem aimed at preventing soldiers from leaving their unit short-handed, including becoming pregnant or undergoing elective surgery that would prevent deployment.

They are also prohibited from ''sexual contact of any kind'' with Iraqis or spending the night with a member of the opposite sex, unless married to them or expressly permitted to do so.

Associated Press

(3) India's Supreme Court asks the government to legalise prostitution

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8405154.stm

Page last updated at 05:51 GMT, Thursday, 10 December 2009

India court raises question of legalising prostitution

There are more than two million sex workers in India

India's Supreme Court has asked the government to consider whether it might legalise prostitution if it is unable to curb it effectively.

The court said legalising prostitution would help in the monitoring of the trade and rehabilitating sex workers.

Although illegal, prostitution is a thriving business in cities and towns across India.

It is estimated that there are more than two million female sex workers in the country.

The court's remarks came while dealing with a public interest litigation filed by an NGO about child trafficking.

The court said child trafficking and prostitution were flourishing because of poverty.

"When you say it is the world's oldest profession and you are not able to curb it by laws, why don't you legalise it?" Judges Dalveer Bhandari and AK Patnaik asked a government solicitor.

"You can then monitor the trade, rehabilitate and provide medical aid to those involved."

The solicitor said that he would look into the court's suggestions.

"The [sex workers] have been operating in one way or the other and nowhere in the world have they been able to curb it by legislation," the judges said.

"In some cases, [the trade] is carried out in a sophisticated manner. So, why don't you legalise it?"

A government-commissioned study says that the number of sex workers has risen from two million in 1997 to three million in 2003-04.

Many prostitutes are said to be underage, entering the sex trade as young as 12.

Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal states together account for 26% of the total number of prostitutes in the country.

(4) CAIRO + 5 UN Review: no mention of Population Explosion - that's seen as Right-Wing

http://www.iisd.ca/journal/davis.html

Linkages Journal

THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED ON: 01/18/02

Volume 4
   Number 1
   1 February 1999

TOPIC - POPULATION

ARE THERE TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE PLANET?: AN OVERVIEW OF CAIRO + 5
by Susan Davis

These days, the only people who still talk about "population controllers" are the anti-abortion fundamentalist minority. It seems that most everyone else who cares about the future of our planet and survival of our species has abandoned the language and trappings of "population control" in favor of women’s empowerment, choice and female education. How did this sea change happen? What does it mean? Will it last?

The debates in Cairo at the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 focused more on feminism than on population control. Indeed, there is not even one reference to ‘population control’ in the 100+ page document. While the largely feminist tone may be "language co-optation," there is a neo-Malthusian current that occasionally surfaces. A key question is to what extent does the "common ground" alliance between feminists and ‘population controllers’ remain intact?

Neo-Malthusians seeking to reduce population growth have demonstrated their willingness to call for the education of girls and women. They have backed up that call with resources and increased support. Given the dramatic changes in the global economy, the crucial question now is how this new awareness will influence the debate on new financial architecture. For example, will they call for "land reform, the redistribution of economic and political power, and the repudiation of international debt" as radical feminists challenged them to do a decade ago?

Advocates for women’s rights reluctantly accepted the expressions of concern in the Cairo document about population growth. Feminist wariness originates from viewing the history of population control as one based on "eugenic, racist, sexist and exploitative actions against certain races and classes of people." It also arises from antipathy towards instrumentalist approaches. Feminists advocate education for girls as a matter of social justice, not simply as an efficient means to fertility control. As advocates of gender equality adopt the language of the market and argue that "investing in women" is economically efficient, there is inevitably some tension among human rights advocates. The difficulty surfaces because of trade-offs and resource allocations among competing priorities.

Five years after that landmark event in Cairo, the international conference on population and development, the global community of the world’s governments, legislators, funders, service providers and advocates are gathering again to take stock, assess and re-calibrate the long-term plan adopted amidst the pyramids. The review process will be predictably political and cumbersome; its dividends will provoke further questions. Nevertheless, organizers of the Cairo + 5 process ostensibly learned many lessons from the disappointing Rio + 5 process in 1997. And, undeniably, Cairo + 5 directions affect us all. The following is a quick overview of what to expect from this process and how NGOs participating in it have framed the agenda for advocacy and negotiations. ...

The Cairo + 5 Process

Similar to other UN processes, the five-year review of ICPD is comprised of a series of expert group meetings, technical consultations, regional meetings, preparatory committee meetings and culminating in a special session of the General Assembly June 30-July 2, 1999 in New York.  ...

(5) Recommended reading list for school children includes Gay themes, child porn

From: Dr. Gunther Kümel <sapere--aude@web.de> Date: 07.12.2009 04:54 AM

'Safe schools' chief recommends child porn for classroom reading

'Sex acts between preschoolers' among subjects of books backed by openly 'gay' Obama adviser

Posted: December 04, 2009

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117978

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following includes descriptions of adult themes and objectional subject material.

A new report is raising alarms that the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, a homosexual advocacy organization founded by Kevin Jennings, now head of the U.S. Office of Safe Schools for the Obama administration, is recommending XXX-rated sex writings for children as young as preschoolers.

"We were unprepared for what we encountered. Book after book after book contained stories and anecdotes that weren't merely X-rated and pornographic, but which featured explicit descriptions of sex acts between preschoolers; stories that seemed to promote and recommend child-adult sexual relationships; stories of public masturbation, anal sex in restrooms, affairs between students and teachers, five-year-olds playing sex games, semen flying through the air," said the report.

"One memoir even praised becoming a prostitute as a way to increase one's self-esteem. Above all, the books seemed to have less to do with promoting tolerance than with an unabashed attempt to indoctrinate students into a hyper-sexualized worldview," it advised.

The report was posted online by Jim Hoft at the Gatetway Pundit blog after it was obtained from Breitbart.tv co-founder Scott Baker, who said the recommended children's reading assignments need attention.

The team whose members assembled the report said a handful of books from the more than 100 titles on GLSEN's recommended reading list for school children were picked randomly. Writings were reviewed with titles such as "Queer 13," "Being Different," "The Full Spectrum," "Revolutionary Voices," "Reflections of a Rock Lobster," "Passages of Pride," "Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian," "The Order of the Poison Oak," "In Your Face," "Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son" and "Love & Sex: Ten Stories of Truth."

"What we discovered shocked us. We were flabbergasted. Rendered speechless," the report said.

"Read the passages … and judge for yourself … The language is explicit, the intent is clear," the report said.

WND has reported previously on Jennings' background and agenda, including when it was revealed a publisher of "gay erotica" sought him out to write a book aimed at encouraging homosexuality in high schools and colleges.

The result was "Becoming Visible," which opens with, "Why teach gay and lesbian history? … Indeed, as lesbian and gay studies has emerged as a discipline over the last two decades, its dramatic discoveries have shown it to be one of the most exciting fields in contemporary historical scholarship."

Researchers at Mass Resistance reported Sasha Alyson of Alyson Publications sought out Jennings to do the book.

In Jennings' acknowledgments for the book, he writes, "Writing this part of the book has caused me more anxiety than any other. It simply is not possible to express my gratitude to the many people who have helped make this book possible. ... With apologies to anyone omitted, here we go! The obvious place to begin is with Alyson Publications. First, Sasha Alyson had the vision to conceive of this project, and I had the good luck to be the person he sought out to complete it. I am deeply appreciative of being afforded this opportunity."

WND also has reported concerns by Mission America over subject material in books recommended by GLSEN for school children.

The group's Linda Harvey warned, "GLSEN believes the early sexualization of children can be beneficial. This means that virtually any sexual activity as well as exposure to graphic sexual images and material, is not just permissible but good for children, as part of the process of discovering their sexuality."

Her report cited one passage from a book recommended for students in grades 7-12: "I released his arms. They glided around my neck, pulling my head down to his. I stretched full length on top of him, our heads touching. Our heavy breathing from the struggle gradually subsided. I felt …"

What follows in "Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian" by Malcolm Boyd is a "graphic description" of a homosexual encounter.

The new report posted on Gatetway Pundit explained the material is what GLSEN wants children to read and learn about.

"GLSEN's stated mission is to empower gay youth in the schools and to stop harassment by other students. It encourages the formation of Gay Student Alliances and condemns the use of hateful words. GLSEN also strives to influence the educational curriculum to include materials which the group believes will increase tolerance of gay students and decrease bullying," the report said.

"To that end, GLSEN maintains a recommended reading list of books that it claims 'furthers our mission to ensure safe schools for all students,'" the report said. "In other words, these are the books that GLSEN's directors think all kids should be reading: gay kids should read them to raise their self-esteem, and straight kids should read them in order to become more aware and tolerant and stop bullying gay kids."

The organization also offers online links to buy the books.

"We can only vouch for what's in these 11 books, since these are the only ones we've read through," the report said. "Are there other books on the GLSEN reading list that are similarly outrageous? We can't say for sure, but it seems very likely."

The review team said the issue isn't about homosexuality or censorship.

"It's about deciding what constitutes appropriate reading material for children. We're perfectly OK with these books existing and being read by adults; we only start to worry when these books are assigned to children," the report said.

"According to Kevin Jennings and GLSEN, books about a 13-year-old getting 'my c--- sucked and my a-- f-----' are not just acceptable, they're highly recommended."

The website notes, "All BookLink items are reviewed by GLSEN staff for quality and appropriateness of content."

Most of the objectionable excerpts cited in the report cannot be included in a WND report. But among the mildest:

    * From "Reflections of a Rock Lobster:" "My sexual exploits with my neighborhood playmates continued. I lived a busy homosexual childhood, somehow managing to avoid venereal disease through all my toddler years. By first grade I was sexually active with many friends. In fact, a small group of us regularly met in the grammar school lavatory…"

    * An illustration in "Revolutionary Voices," shows two Boy Scouts pointing at and looking at two adult men engaged in sex.

    * From "Queer 13:" "Soon I was spending a great deal of time hanging out in shopping malls and cruising the rest rooms for sexual encounters."

(6) FEMALE teacher jailed for sex with boys

{this is a bit over the top. Such laws, drafted by man-haters, were aimed at men - Peter M.}

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26375776-421,00.html

By Kate Jones

Herald Sun

November 20, 2009 11:52am

Music teacher Michelle Dennis had sex with two students / Herald Sun

Teacher had sex with two boys

A FEMALE music teacher who had sex with two students sobbed today as she was sentenced to more than four years jail.

Michelle Lynn Dennis, 33, had betrayed the trust of the students and shown little remorse, the Ballarat County Court heard.

Judge Susan Cohen said the Ballarat teacher's offending had been worse than that of Karen Ellis because she had sex with more than one student.

In 2005, Karen Ellis, a physical education teacher, was convicted of having sex with a student and jailed for two years and two months.

Dennis pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual penetration of a child under her care, supervision or authority and one count of sexual penetration of a child under 16.

Dennis denied the crimes until the day of her scheduled trial.

The court heard Dennis sent more than 1000 texts to one boy and more than 300 to the other.

She also sent one of them nude pictures of herself and invited his friend to have a threesome with them.

The court was told Dennis picked up one boy from his house and drove him to a local park where they had sex on the bonnet of her car.

In the case of the younger boy, Dennis drove him to her house before plying him with alcohol and having oral sex.

Lawyers for Dennis told the court she was drinking heavily during the 2007 offending and had kept a water bottle full of red wine in her car.

Judge Cohen says she took into account Dennis' alcoholism and history of abusive relationships, but it was no excuse for her crimes.

Dennis, who is now a registered sex offender, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison and will serve a minimum of two years and 10 months.

(7) Australian Greens promote same-sex marriage Bill

http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2009/11/26/committee-says-no-to-marriage/18734

Committee says no to marriage

Gay marriage advocates’ hopes were deflated today with the long-awaited Committee of Inquiry into the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill report recommending against same-sex marriage.

“The Committee recommends that the Bill not be passed,” the report stated.

The Committee said it believes the definition of marriage in the current Marriage Act is appropriate, however, it said other types of relationships play an important part in Australia and deserve recognition.

“For this reason, the Committee’s recommendation not to alter the definition of marriage should not be taken as a lack of support for same-sex couples,” the report stated.
“However, the Committee considers that the current definition is a clear and well-recognised legal term which should be preserved.”

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she was disappointed that “compelling” arguments in favour of same-sex marriage were not supported.

“We are disappointed that despite supporting evidence to the inquiry the Committee’s report has recommended that my Bill, which would provide marriage equality for all Australians, should not be passed,” Hanson-Young said.

“The Greens renew the call for the Prime Minister to show leadership on this issue rather than continuing to stand in the way of necessary reform.”

The Committee recommended the Federal Government review relationship recognition arrangements in the states and territories to develop a nationally consistent system of recognition for same-sex couples.

Hanson-Young said the Greens would still pursue the Bill’s passage through Federal Parliament in the new year.