Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Legislature / Politics / Woods ACLU Sends Action Alert Against 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 3:22 PM
• Teachers, school counselors, and other school administrators - not the General Assembly - are the most qualified to decide what is the best way to responsibly teach about diversity and other current events affecting students today. • Anti-gay bullying against both gay and straight students is one of the biggest problems in our public schools. Teachers and administrators should not be hamstrung in their efforts to address all forms of discrimination and harassment. • This blanket ban violates the First Amendment prohibition against viewpoint discrimination by favoring speech about "heterosexuality" and banning speech about gay issues regardless of the educational purpose. • HB821 infringes upon academic freedom by arbitrarily suppressing ideas and dictating to educators and students that only "heterosexuality" may be discussed. • The bill may be used to prohibit students from forming Gay-Straight Alliance clubs and from encouraging tolerance and respect for all students regardless of sexual orientation.Is that all?
Comments (2)
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The bill as filed does not prohibit, "any mention of homosexuality in public schools."
It postpones the discussion of homosexuality until High School. Where I believe it appropriate. That means 13 and 14 year olds.
Perhaps, if we'd used a little discretion over exhibitions of sexuality when I was a prepubescent youngster, instead of imprinting Hugh Hefner's vision, sold as free speech, in the minds of all our youth I and my generation might have matured believing that women were simply beautiful the way they were created.
Instead, we now have an industry modifying women's bodies for profit to conform to Hefner's ideals.
There is no harm with postponing education of alternative sexual beahvior until maturity. It should occur outside the school system as well.
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I think you're sentiment's right here, Tony, but it's just kinda naive. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a middle school kid anywhere in the country who doesn't know about homosexuality, doesn't talk about it at home, with friends, whatever. The existence of gay people isn't exactly a secret. The bill doesn't delay anything; it simply forces schools to opt out of the conversation. So all that's accomplished is that some redneck gets to brag to his constituents that he smacked around some gay guys again.
