Chicago school officials revise plan to show gay awareness documentary

By Martha Irvine, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - School officials appeared to step back Tuesday from plans to show principals a controversial documentary about ways teachers can discuss homosexuality with their students.

School officials had stressed that "It's Elementary'' would not be shown to students but said last week that the district's 589 principals would view the film at training sessions and receive a copy for their schools.

But on Tuesday, the chief executive of the Chicago schools, Paul Vallas, said neither he nor Blondean Davis, chief of school operations, had ever intended for the video to be shown to principals.

The training sessions are being led by Mary Morten, Mayor Richard Daley's liaison on gay and lesbian issues. Although she will be allowed to talk to the principals about the importance of protecting gay and lesbian students, Vallas said she can't show the video.

"If a principal wants a copy of the tape, they can request it,'' Vallas said.

Ms. Morten blasted officials and said they were backtracking on the plans because of the stir caused when "It's Elementary'' aired on several public TV stations this summer. The film includes footage of third-graders debating gay marriage and first- and second-graders reading a book about a little girl who has two lesbian mothers.

"We were always going to show the video. That was the point,'' Ms. Morten said. "I think the problem is that something controversial is making people hesitant to move forward.''

Vallas said the documentary has been shown at training sessions for school counselors and crisis intervention officers but said principals would decide whether to show the film to their staffs.

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