Maine's "Queer" Boys' Workshop Canceled By Mike Hein May 14, 2008 - 6:27:13 AM

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Boys to Men Director Gregory Cites "Lack of Interest" for Homosexual Youth Class

B2M Director Layne Gregory

Maine's Boys to Men organization unceremoniously canceled their 2008 conference's "Queer, Questioning, Quiet: Developing Gender Identity & Male Sexual Orientation" workshop at their annual conference on May 13.  The group's Executive Director, Layne Gregory, cited "lack of interest" and participation from the boys attending the conference as the reason for the boys' homosexual workshop cancellation.

Bill Gregory, a retired United Church of Christ minister and member of the group's Board of Directors, initially speculated that the cancellation was initiated by the workshop's homosexual youth leaders, the Proud Rainbow Youth of Southern Maine (PRYSM).  "Almost always, when we have a workshop cancellation, it's due to the presenters not being able to attend [the conference]," said Mr. Gregory.

"[The boys' homosexual workshop] was canceled due to lack of interest, lack of participation," said Boys to Men Executive Director Layne Gregory later.  She noted that the Christian Civic League of Maine's reporter "was one of the only ones" to register for the "Queer" boys' workshop.  Not discouraged by the cancellation, she went on to say, "We feel it is important to offer this kind of thing each year at our conference."

Boys to Men Americorps VISTA Program Intern Meghann McCluskey added more detail to the cancellation explanation stating that there was only one other person besides the League Record reporter who expressed an interest in attending the boys' homosexual workshop, despite the hundreds of pre-teen schoolboys who attended the annual conference.  

McCluskey acknowledged that the Boys to Men organization did know about the national publicity that surrounded the boys' homosexual workshop, primarily through the League Record's "Transgender Teaching on Tap for Maine Boys" article and WorldNetDaily.com "Class for Kids: How to be Homosexual" article.  She said the group was not aware of the more recent "Homo-Grown Heroes" commentary by Olivia St. John, also published on WorldNetDaily.

A listing of the Boys to Men Conference 2008 morning workshops can be seen at
www.cclmaine.org/PDF_Files/BoysToMenConference2008MorningSession.pdf.

Boys' Sex Workshop Chalkboard

While the "Queer, Questioning, Quiet" homosexual boys' workshop did not take place, other workshops were held at the conference, including one led by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England representatives.  The "Real Life. Real Talk. Sex in the Movies" morning workshop attracted fifty young boys.

Led by Lauren Grousd, a PPNNE Project Coordinator, and Jason Barriault, a senior at Cheverus High School and PPNNE Teen Council member, the workshop encouraged the pre-teen boys to "take some risks" regarding sex and to "respect differences of oppinion [sic]."  Handouts at the PPNNE-led workshop asked parents to "Host a Sex Ed House Party" where "[Parents] invite your friends over, and [Planned Parenthood] supplies teen sexuality info and facilitates the discussion."

A copy of the handout can be seen at www.cclmaine.org/PDF_Files/BoysToMenConference2008PPNNEevents.pdf.

USM Abromson Center Sign

Both Grousd and Barriault refused to allow their photograph to be taken prior to the workshop without explanation.  Boys to Men Director Layne Gregory, who also attended the boys' sex workshop, said additionally that no photographs of any of the conference participants would be allowed without their express permission.  The group has photos of previous conference workshop participants, including young boys, publicly available on their website.

Gregory allowed her photo to be taken only under the condition that she be allowed to take the photo of the League Record reporter and photographer.  Gregory was taking photos of the conference and workshop participants throughout the morning, stating that she had received the express permission of all of the hundreds of conference attendees, including the young boys.  She admitted that the group's photography permission policy was not published anywhere, nor did any of the conference registration forms include an explanation of the alleged photography policy.

The Boys to Men 2008 Conference is held annually at the University of Southern Maine's Abromson Center, and its workshops are held at the public university's campus academic buildings.

Planned Parenthood's "Real Life. Real Talk." Portland (ME) Coalition members include the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, the Cathederal Episcopal Church of St. Luke, Coffee by Design, the City of Portland's School-Based Health Centers, Kidz'n Maine, Mr. Bagel (Scarborough, ME), Parent & Family Newspaper, the Portland Public Library, WJBQ Radio, and the Portland Public Schools.

A complete list of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England's "Real Life. Real Talk." Portland (ME) Coalition members can be seen at
www.cclmaine.org/PDF_Files/B2MConference2008PPNNERealTalkPortlandCoalition.pdf.

The 2008 Boys to Men Conference sponsors and supporters are: Champions ($5,000 or more): Healthy Maine Partnerships and the Maine Medical Center; Sponsors ($2,000 to $4,999): Dead River Company, Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Whole Foods Market, The United Way of Greater Portland; and Supporters ($1,000 to $1,999): The [Southern Maine] Forecaster, The Dr. J. Mark Kjeldgaard Foundation, Maine Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry/Spring Harbor Hospital, Maine Office of Substance Abuse, Muskie School of Public Service, Youth Alternatives.

This list of Boys to Men Conference sponsors can also be viewed at
www.cclmaine.org/PDF_Files/BoysToMenConference2008Sponsors.pdf.

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