1. Brooke Ashjian is president of the Fresno Unified School District Board
2. He has a history of being anti-LGBT including accusing a local LGBT organization of pimping him out… Yeah, it makes no sense to anyone else either.
3. There is a CA law that went into effective in 2016 that requires that middle and high schools teach unbiased and medically accurate sex education, including lessons on birth control and abortion.
4. Conservatives are not happy about this law… and in a recent interview Ashijan gave the following quote: “My biggest fear in teaching this – which we’re going to do it because it’s the law – but you have kids who are extremely moldable at this stage, and if you start telling them that LGBT is OK and that it’s a way of life, well maybe you just swayed the kid to go that way,” Ashjian said. “It’s so important for parents to teach these Judeo-Christian philosophies.”
5. Yeah. Not shockingly, Ashjian is a Trump supporter who also is on record for saying that the psychological ramifications of abortion are on par if not worse than the fall out from having an abortion. “There’s certainly a lot of psychological effects that come from abortion that people need to be aware of,” Ashjian said. “Your life is a lot easier by not doing it. Look at these poor girls who get raped and have to have an abortion. If that’s the way they’ve got to go, God bless them. But think of all the repercussions that come later in life, mental and psychological.” Source
6. So… naturally the LGBT community came together to call for his resignation. Including EQCA and the HRC There is also a petition to remove him.
8. Last night community members attended a five hour meeting where dozens of LGBT supporters and community members plead with the other board trustees to remove Ashjian. No decision was made. Coverage from the Fresno Bee.
9. In a long strange statement Ashjian compared his plight of being called out to the suffering of the Armenian people by the Ottoman empire. For reals. It doesn’t make any more sense if you watch it.
10. Another lovely thing about Ashjian: apparently he doesn’t see the local paper The Fresno Bee as a legit news organization… which is straight out of the the Trump playbook. “I don’t acknowledge The Fresno Bee as a legitimate news source.” Source
The work is far from over. Rest assured, we won’t stop calling for equality and safety for ALL FUSD students.
Reprinted with permission from Perhaps We Learned Something…
