Far-right religious groups are gearing up for a "Day of Dialogue" to counter student-led efforts to fight anti-gay bullying in schools. While they claim they want to "encourage honest and respectful conversation among students", the true purpose behind the event isn't as respectful as it seems.

Though the Day of Dialogue is ostensibly intended to take a stand against bullying, its sponsor, Focus on the Family, reveals it's really about "supporting those who want to express their faith-based viewpoints about homosexuality". What's their faith-based viewpoint? That "male and female are complementary and marriage and sex are to be between a husband and wife".

And that's only the beginning. They've called anti-bullying programs "pro-homosexual curriculum", accused "gay activists" of "infiltrating classrooms under the cover of 'anti-bullying' or 'safe schools' initiatives", and promoted dangerous and unscientific "ex-gay" conversion efforts.

When LGBT youth are already subjected to harassment and violence in schools, having students spread the idea that there's something wrong with being gay is anything but respectful. And if they won't "back away from speaking truth", neither will we. Our students deserve an honest dialogue about relationships, sexuality, and the real story behind faith-based prejudice.

So mark your calendars: Monday, April 18 is the Rational Day of Dialogue. Read on!