The Christian lobbying group, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms (NYCF), is quick to state their position that all students need a safe school environment that is conducive to learning.  NYCF recognizes that no mere act of legislation will stop children from engaging in bullying activities.  NYCF believes the bill is more about promoting alternative lifestyles to New York’s public school students than anything else.  Duane Motley, NYCF Executive Director, reasons, “If the bill was really about protecting students, then more traditional types of characteristics such as obesity and the wearing of eyeglasses would have been included.”

Some SSASA opponents raise constitutional concerns.  They believe that SSASA would likely lead to public school faculty, administration, staff, and students being punished for “intimidation” when they exercise their First Amendment right to speak in opposition to homosexual or transgender behavior.  Stephen Hayford, of the Albany-based Association of Politically Active Christians, and an attorney, argues, “When student health class discussion delves into the topic of certain sexual behavior, a student could be disciplined for simply stating their sincerely held religious belief that transsexual behavior is immoral.”

Rev. Tom Stiles, Associate with New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation believes, “It is the responsibility of parents to teach values to their children, and of schools to enforce codes of conduct that protect all students equally, not certain classes more than others.”  He believes, “It is the responsibility of parents to teach respect for every individual, because each one is created in the image of God, but that respect does not include condoning behaviors that the Bible calls sin.”