Barb Anderson is a volunteer researcher for the Minnesota Family Council. She’s also a founding member of the Parents Action League, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a “hate group.” She wants voters to reject an Anoka Hennepin School Board member John Hoffman who is running in Senate District 36.

Hoffman is running as a DFLer against Republican freshman Ben Kruse. Hoffman touts his vote to repeal Anoka Hennepin’s LGBT discrimination policy as well as his opposition to the marriage amendment.

Anderson, in a letter to the Press & News, blasted Hoffman and endorsed Kruse:

To the Editor:

I know school board member John Hoffman, and he is running for the state senate seat. I would, however, encourage everyone to take a close look at what he now stands for. The list of his School Board Accomplishments on his website proudly states, “Repealed the ‘no promo homo’ language adopted in 1995. Subsequently replaced the Sexual Orientation Curriculum policy.”

Believe me, this is not something to brag about. I was one of several parents who served on the health curriculum committee in 1995 that adopted the original policy. It was not called ‘no promo homo.’ John has adopted the language used in the Rolling Stone article—the poorly researched and distorted hit piece that attacked our school district and community on Feb. 16, 2012.

The 1995 policy read “…while respect be maintained toward all people, homosexuality will not be taught/addressed as a normal, valid lifestyle and that district staff and their resources not advocate the homosexual lifestyle.”

This original policy was passed because there were problems. AIDS and sex education classroom materials normalized homosexuality and taught students that to think otherwise is “heterosexism.”

The teachers’ resource list included the Minnesota AIDS Project (MAP), the Gay Men’s Health Center and the Gay and Lesbian Helpline for Youth and Adults. These are pro-gay advocacy organizations that distribute obscene and sexually graphic materials.

One MAP coloring page for elementary children included a phone number with pre-recorded sexually explicit information. The 1995 policy helped bring to light and block this kind of inappropriate classroom indoctrination.

In 2009 the 1995 policy was replaced with the Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy that once again helped keep homosexual propaganda out of the school curriculum. Mr. Hoffman assured me (and many others) that he would not vote to remove this new policy. Eventually Mr. Hoffman went back on his word and voted against the Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy. If he broke his promise while on the School Board, how can we trust him as a state senator?

Senator Ben Kruse can be trusted. He gets my vote.

Barb Anderson

Champlin