Margaret Spellings in The Associated Press

On Civil Rights: Advocates against exposing children to lesbian lifestyle

The nation’s new education secretary denounced PBS for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters. The not-yet-aired episode of “Postcards From Buster” shows the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, on a trip to Vermont. The episode features two lesbian couples, although the focus is on farm life and maple sugaring. PBS gets money for the “Postcards from Buster” series through the federal Ready-To-Learn program.

Margaret Spellings said the “Sugartime!” episode does not fulfill the intent Congress had in mind for programming. By law, she said, any funded shows must give top attention to “research-based educational objectives, content and materials.”

Spellings said, “Many parents would not want their children exposed to the lifestyle shown briefly in the episode.” Criticism of the program’s depiction of the gay lifestyle was one of her first acts as Secretary of Education. She asked PBS to consider refunding the money it spent on the episode if it decides to air it.

Source: Associated Press on WTOP Radio network on Bush Cabinet May 31, 2005

The above quotations are from Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press. Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press. Click here for other excerpts by Margaret Spellings. Click here for a profile of Margaret Spellings.
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Page last updated: Feb 15, 2019