Obama Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings: Questions Raised over Whether Jennings Knew Henry Hay’s Ties to NAMBLA Before He Allegedly Praised Hay in a 1997 Speech

Credible Info Shows Gay Activist Henry Hay Participating in NAMBLA Meetings, Marches, and Giving Speeches

Nambla bulletin

Yesterday, two stories were reported regarding Obama’s czars. One from the LA Times, the other, a blogger called Zombie whose blog is called ZombieTime. The LA Times reported on the panel of five constitutional experts who testified before the Senate on the legality of Obama’s “Czars”. According the Times, Obama’s “extensive use” of czars is okay legally as long as the czars “do not overstep their authority”. Zombie posted a well documented story on Obama Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jenkins and a purported speech where he allegedly stated gay pioneer Henry Hay was an “inspiration”. Zombie posted an expose on Hay, who had “deep ties” with NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association), a group that promotes sex with young boys. In other words, pedophiles.

Jennings’s problem: a speech he purportedly made in 1997, praising Hay as “someone who always inspired” Jennings. Zombie noted that Jennings has a “big” problem as Hay’s involvement in NAMBLA was documented prior to the 1994 book, “Becoming Visible”, a history of gay activism, which Jennings co-wrote and edited.

Zombie’s documentation on Hay-numerous photos of Hay at NAMBLA meetings, Hay marching at a 1994 Spirit of Stonewall demonstration with the NAMBLA banner visible in the background, etc.-is stunning and leads to the questions of whether Jennings knew Hay was a prominent NAMBLA figure or whether he should have known, as a gay activist “historian”.

Here’s more info on Jenning’s book, from the Harvard Educational Review:

Becoming Visible is a one-of-a-kind resource for teachers and students interested in gay and lesbian history. Editor Kevin Jennings, a high school history teacher who cofounded the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers Network in 1990, has collected a series of engaging and insightful readings, many recently published, that help to place the present-day struggles of gays and lesbians in the United States in a broad historical context. Jennings identifies two primary audiences for this reader: 1) teachers and students in high schools and colleges seeking primary and secondary materials about gay and lesbian history; and 2) general readers in search of a thoughtful introduction to gay and lesbian history.

………………………..

“Stuart Timmons gives a biographical sketch of Harry Hay, who founded the Mattachine Society in 1950, the first ongoing gay-rights organization in the United States.”

It should be noted that even though we were unable to peruse the “bio” on Hay we highly doubt it included Hay’s participation in NAMBLA.

Previously, Jennings came under fire for his association to GLSEN, Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, which he founded, and workshop held by GLSEN for high school kids, a workshop that’s been labeled “Fistgate”.

GLSEN was outed after it came to light that back in 2000, a workshop was held by GLSEN for high school kids in Massachusetts. The site, Mass Resistance, has startling evidence of what’s been labeled “Fistgate” and an entire synopsis of what occurred at the workshop-state employees describing to kids sex techniques such as “fisting”. The aftermath: FOX News and other news orgs descending upon Massachusetts after tapes of the workshop were revealed. Every member of the MA legislature were given a copy, GLSEN didn’t dispute the tapes, and the MA legislators continued to fund GLSEN, then incorporated GLSEN as mandated member of the tax-supported Massachusetts Commission for GLBT Youth. From there, it gets worse, such as, the MA Supreme Court sealed the tapes on the bequest of GLSEN. For more on the Fistgate saga follow this link to Mass Resistance.

At the time Fistgate occurred Jennings was Executive Director. According to Mass Resistance, Jennings didn’t dispute the tapes, in fact, he defended the workshop, then tried to have the tapes kept under wraps.

Now we find that Jennings, in 1997, allegedly touted NAMBLA proponent Henry Hay as a “one of the people who always inspired me”.

Politics aside, Jennings needs to refute that he did, indeed, make this statement, or that, if he did, step forward and answer questions as to whether he knew of Hay’s very public involvement in NAMBLA.

From the Gay Patriot:

“Now, let me first say that just because Hay inspired Jennings does not mean that that latter agreed with everything the pioneering gay activist said or did. Indeed, well aware of Hay’s activism, I had been unaware of his support for NAMBLA until bloggers brought it out in stories about Jennings. Maybe Jennings didn’t know either.”

We agree. Perhaps Jennings simply did not “know”. Even so, the question lingers, and if left unanswered, will fester with conclusions that may, or not, be true.

And:

Please let me know if you have evidence that Jennings was unaware of Hay’s involvement in NAMBLA or has distanced himself from that aspect of a man on whom he has lavished much praise.

As it is now, Jennings’s prominence only helps reinforce certain stereotypes about gay people. And that is why, I believe, he should resign.

One “certain stereotypes about gay people”, the untrue “gay men are pedophiles”. Unless Jennings addresses the question about whether he knew Hay was a prominent participant in NAMBA, gay activists and the gay community face the specter of this particular stereotype being reinforced, a specter the gay community can ill afford. Compounding the situation, the very real fact that Jennings is connected to Obama and his administration.

Any attempt to counteract this information with claims of “bigotry” and partisan right wing smear tactics won’t play. This tactic might work if Jennings were Obama’s “Safe Car” or “Safe Jobs” Czar but it won’t work when Jennings’ job is Obama’s “Safe Schools” Czar and the issue of NAMBLA is involved.

By LBG

Image – NAMBLA Bulletin Cover

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