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Hundreds Support 'Controversial' Diversity Video
© 2005 DiversityInc.com®
July 21, 2005
Analysis of today's diversity news from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and more:
More than 200 people gathered at the Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to kick off a campaign supporting "We Are Family," a DVD produced by the Anti-Defamation League that was rejected by two Broward school-district committees.
The DVD features different cartoon characters and teaches tolerance to preschool and elementary-school children. The characters talk about how their families include friends, neighbors and "everyone in the world (registration required)."
Groups such as Equality Florida, the Anti-Defamation League and South Florida Family Pride, and citizens who were concerned about what had been going on attended the Wednesday meeting, reports The Miami Herald. They want to fax and e-mail school-board members to urge them to approve the video, get churches that support the DVD and reach local business people.
"It's like going back to the dark ages, burning books," said Toni Hadi of Wilton Manors. "I'm really appalled."
But the Broward school district's diversity committee worried that encouraging children to view everyone as family would make children vulnerable to strangers who meant them harm, and some said the DVD could lead to a discussion about homosexuality. Margaret Hostetter, a member of Broward's Christian Coalition, said she was concerned the video could spark conversation in young children's classrooms that would expand the definition of family from a "traditional" biological family.
Joel S. Slotnick, a deacon at the church, may be wondering what all the fuss is about. He said the DVD never was meant to spark controversy. "The first time I saw it ... I literally sat there laughing that there was such turmoil about this."