LESSON IN POLITICS SURPRISES STUDENTS
REP. BODDICKER LINKS HOMOSEXUALITY WITH PEDOPHILIA.

By Madelaine Jerousek, Register Staff Writer

Three students in a Hudson High School government class got a lesson in politics and have become advocates for gay rights as a result.

Students in Lynn Petersen's government class were told to choose a bill before the Iowa Legislature that interested them. They were to write to lawmakers and lobby for the bill.

Celeste Kruger, Andrea Fisher and Clarissa Rue, all Hudson juniors, chose a bill that would prohibit discrimination against homosexuals.

Kruger said she chose the bill because some of her friends are gay. She thinks her friends shouldn't be treated differently because of their sexual orientation.

The students sent letters to legislators and got several replies. It was an e-mail from Rep. Daniel Boddicker, R-Tipton, that surprised and upset the girls.

Boddicker wrote that he couldn't help with the project because he believes homosexuality is a behavioral issue, not a genetic one.

"I do not believe homosexuals are entitled to special rights or protections because of the [at this point the story is continued from page 1 to page 4, something was obviously left on the cutting room floor] responded to the students because he wanted them to understand his beliefs.

I told them that homosexuality is a choice," he said.

Petersen said he was shocked by Boddicker's reply.

"I told the girls to understand that he was just expressing his views, but I encouraged them to write back," he said.

Boddicker's second reply surprised the students even more. He linked homosexuality with pedophilia.

"In the last year it has become obvious that the pedophile movement has joined forces (if they ever were separate) with the homosexual movement to work for social acceptance for pedophilia," he wrote. Boddicker said his statement referred to an American Psychological Association report last year that said sex between adults and willing minors "should be described in more positive terms."

"The gay rights people have penetrated the American Psychological Association and managed to get homosexuality declassified and now they are trying to do the same for pedophiles," he said.

[Iowa Rep. Dan Boddicker is online at dan_boddicker@legis.state.ia.us ]

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