Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Legislature 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Flies Out of House Subcommittee
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 5:14 PM
Before the House education subcommittee acted, chairman Joey Hensley scored bonus points by admonishing all Tennessee parents not to let their children watch “Modern Family” on television because they might discover there are homosexuals in the world.
Coincidentally, President Obama says "Modern Family" is one of the first family’s favorite shows to watch in the White House. Hensley didn’t mention that, but we’re certain that if he knew it, it would only strengthen his belief in the show’s evil influence.
“I don’t think ‘Modern Family’ is appropriate for children to watch,” Hensley said solemnly after a Nashville preacher testified children might find out about gay people by seeing the show even if teachers aren’t allowed to say gay in schools.
The state Senate adopted the “don’t say gay” bill last year but amended it first to allow only the teaching of “natural human reproduction science."
Democrats argued the amendment actually liberalizes state law, which now makes it a misdemeanor to teach any kind of sex education before the ninth grade.
Nashville high school students have made regular trips to the Capitol to demonstrate against the bill, chanting “It’s OK to say gay!” They attended today’s hearing too.
"I really don’t know the purpose of bringing this legislation at this time," House Democratic leader Craig Fitzhugh said. "It looks to me like a solution looking for a problem. This is certainly unnecessary. If it’s unnecessary why do we do it? I think we need to look long and hard at our motives."
Comments (69)
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''discovering '' gays and homosexual, is so horrifying to wing nuts, but, for most of us discovering the Tn house and senate is a place where the most incendiary , provocative and backwards legislation is discussed, any given time..republicans, and tea party fans,please..all of you...get a life
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Personally I think teaching sex ed in school is a waste or time. Everybody knows 99% of kids sex education comes off the playground and in the back seat of a car. Hillsboro High, Class of 70, sex ed went something like this:"boyshavenocturnalemissionsandgirlshavemenstrualcycles", it was said real fast and it was all one word. Then we proceeded to the reproduction process of single cell organisms. On Friday and Saturday nights we went parking at Percy Warner and I never thought about what my sex ed teacher had talked about in class. Everybody needs to lighten up on this. Just because our clueless legislators don't have any walking around sense, doesn't mean we all have to freak out. Parents, it's time to man up, talk to your kids don't leave this up to the the state or God forbid, NMPS.
Thankfully, for the sake of Tennessee heritage, it looks like it's still OK to talk about incest.
Where's gast on this one? I imagine he'll predictably come down on the side of supporting the lack of inclusion of homosexuality as a topic in sex education, which is going to be HILARIOUS when we point out that in another thread, he was proposing to show graphic pictures of genital warts to children to cut down on teen sex.
Our poor, poor children can't be exposed to the mere concept of two men or two women having sex -- they're much too fragile for that... but by all means, let's show 'em graphic pictures of dick rot!
Children are accessing porn on the home computer, their cell phones, their friends computers, I-pads, ect. I think you will be hard pressed to find a fifth grader who hasnt seen some form of pornography on the internet..The parents that dont want their kids exposed to the word Gay? are you serious, that is the very very least of your concerns. My partner and I raised 6 children as well as some of the neighborhood kids. My children went to public school, how insulting this would be to them. Do you not think it's possible that your accountant, the clerk at walgreens, your vet, your lawyer, the district judge, could possibly be homosexual, or have friends or family that are.
I dont think people realize how many gay and lesbian people live in Nashville and the surrounding areas...all with families, friends, children, coworkers, neighbors...people that love them, and this kind of blatant refusal to even acknowledge the very existence of gays and lesbians is equivalent to plugging your ears and humming to avoid hearing the truth.
Don't Ask: Gee whiz, guy, did I get to personal or something? Did you see the pictures? Ugggglyyyyy! If we're going to teach the kids, teach everything that's relevant.
Sheila Defazio: Do you also want everybody to know there are over 2,000 cases of gay men infected with HIV/AIDS in the Nashville - Murfreesboro area? If we're going to educate the kids, let's air it all out. And what are you doing letting your kids watch porn? That's good parenting? I guess it would make your's a popular place to hang out.
Sure, gast. Seen 'em. Used to volunteer at a community health center, too, so I've seen some stuff they don't typically document with photographs. My question stands: why is teaching kids graphic details of sexual disease to attempt to get them to fear teen sex relevant but teaching them about actual sexual behavior (like homosexuality) and disease prevention (like condoms) suddenly not relevant?
What kind of moron still believes that AIDS came from someone having sex with monkeys? That was a 1980's era myth. How frightening that someone so uninformed would have ANY say over the education system in our state. Here's how their ignorant logic works:
1. HIV probably evolved from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.
2. HIV is spread through contact between bodily fluids, among humans that most commonly happens through sex.
3. Ah-Ha! THEREFORE, someone must have had sex with a monkey.
Idiots.
It is not even totally certain that HIV came from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus. It is actually not even certain that HIV originated in Africa at all. However, the similarity between the viruses has made it generally accepted that it did. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus has been found more prevalently among certain primates that were heavily hunted, slaughtered and eaten, so if HIV did evolve from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, the scientific evidence suggests that the most likely means of transmission to humans was contact with the blood and meat during hunting and slaughtering. People don't tend to eat each other, bite each other, or get covered in each other's blood, so it happens that sex is the most common means of transmission between us. It does not logically follow that that must be how it crossed over from simians to humans.
But it makes a much more condemning and salacious argument to claim that's what happened.
And we're going to trust this ignorant lot to weigh in on what we should teach in schools?
From "Jurist" in November, letting us know tat Tennessee is about to join a repressive authoritarian government, in Russia of all places, in official endorsement of outlawing the very discussion of homosexuality. Way to go, General Assembly! See the closing line. Tennessee is aligning itself with the Russians, African dictatorships and Islamic theocracies:
"Russian lawmakers in the city of St. Petersburg on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved an initial reading of a bill that would impose fines against people convicted of promoting homosexuality, including gays or lesbians who are open about their sexuality. The legislation, which was supported by the ruling United Russia party, would ban gay pride parades, and any activity in public which could influence children and that could be viewed as promoting a gay, lesbian, transgender or LGBT lifestyle. Individuals convicted under the law would be subject to fines between 3,000 and 5,000 rubles ($100-$160 USD), while organizations could be fined up to 50,000 rubles for "promoting" homosexuality. Sponsors of the bill claim it is necessary because homosexual propaganda "threatens" Russia and that "sexual deviation" negatively impacts Russian children. Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the upper house of the Russian Parliament and former governor of St. Petersburg, noted his support for the measure and indicated that a similar national ban should be considered. Russian gay rights supporters condemned the bill as an attempt to politicize the issue and bolster political support for the United Russia party in St. Petersburg among the uneducated population. They condemned the bill as being unprofessional, due to the presence of numerous spelling errors, and excessively regressive. According to legal scholars, the Russian Constitution may allow limitations to be placed on the rights of homosexuals due to the constitutional ability to balance the interests of society and limit rights of a social group if they infringe upon the rights of another social group. Before it can be enacted, the legislation must survive two more readings, although approval of the bill is ultimately expected.
"Russia has long struggled with the acceptance of homosexuality. In 2008, several Russian gay rights activists were arrested by police in Moscow for holding events commemorating the 1993 law that put an end to government prosecution for homosexual activity in Russia. It was the third consecutive year Moscow Pride held events around the city to elude officials attempting to enforce a local ban on gay pride parades that was put in place due to fears of violence. The UN has attempted to pass resolutions aimed at ending sexuality discrimination worldwide, but has faced difficulty passing resolutions on gay rights issues, due to no international consensus on the morality of homosexuality. In June, UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed the "Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity" resolution, which is the first resolution to call for an end to sexuality discrimination worldwide and to recognize it as a "priority" for the UN. Last year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for countries around the world to abolish laws discriminating against gay and lesbian individuals. Two years ago, the UN passed a gay rights declaration, which the US signed and sponsored. The declaration, a nonbinding measure that does not have the full force of a resolution, called on states to end criminalization and persecution of homosexuals. This declaration was recalled by the new resolution. Although 85 countries signed the declaration, 57 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, signed an opposing statement. The year before, the UN General Assembly was divided over the issue of decriminalizing homosexuality as 66 nations signed a statement calling for decriminalization, and nearly 60 nations signed an opposing statement."
@Don't Ask: Let's see now, does teen sex have anything to do with the tremendous increase in children born to a single parent? The thing is, no matter what either of us say, teens are going to fog up car windows. But fear can be a healthy thing if it can help limit unwanted pregnancies and diseases. And If we're going to teach kids about sex, then let's teach it all, the good, bad, ugly, bumpy, and smelly. Add some fear to the course. I've read some of your comments on other subjects - you're a pretty smart guy, so think about this: I haven't said, "Don't do this...." I've advocated adding to the curriculum. Is it possible to impart too much knowledge? When it comes to sex and homosexuality, I guess so. Certain parties are trying to advance their agendas under the guise of education while at the same time trying to avoid full disclosure. I'm not going to let that slide. No way.
Contact your state representative, your state senator, and Gov. Haslam's office immediately and let them know what you want to happen to this bill. Find your district's legislators and contact info here:
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators/
If they can't do any better than this, just Don't Say Republican next time you go to the polls.
So instead of teaching kids about effective forms of birth control you'd be in favor of scaring kids to death about sexual behavior of any type. I see. I'm sure that will lead to well-adjusted adults, sexually speaking. That type of thing has really done a bang up job for the Catholic church. So who exactly is advancing an agenda here?
Kids are going to have sex no matter how many gross out pictures you display to them. They're teenagers and hormones are in full bloom. And they are more likely to have unsafe sex if they're confused about the basic mechanics and can't reconcile or don't understand their own sexual feelings... Even the ones they experience towards the same sex. Plenty of studies bear this out. So why deny that this occurs?
I am a big proponent of completeness of the educational picture. That's why I also don't mind adding abstinence education to sex ed, nor to I mind the study of religious texts (as society-affecting literature), evolution/creation controversy, or study of opposing viewpoints to climate change. I differ from many liberals in this respect, but when preparing students for being citizens of the world -- as we must to continue to be a great country -- we should not select which parts of the world to ignore in our studies just because we don't like them.
Hmm... would it violate the don't say gay bill to invite Campfield to shove this bill up his ass?
Yes gast, lets fan the flames of fear. "Fear can be a healthy thing..." Lets choose fear over education. Maybe we can gin up some superstitions to go along with the fear. That's how we'll shape the hearts and minds of tomorrow.
Maybe if we wear cloaks and hoods and burn crosses in teenagers yards they'll think twice about doing it. Don't give kids good scientific information, just tell them they'll all get warts on they're junk if they don't abstain. I'm sure they'll never figure out you were lying to them. They won't resent that at all.
Look at gast, he was motivated by fear and look how he turned out, not bitter or paranoid at all. Or creepy. Or loathsome.
Sure glad those Republicans in charge are really going after the whole jobs, education, health care thing that impacts ALL Tennesseans. Also, why can't the Democrats get the courage to really stand up and show what this pathetic group is all about...getting the uneducated, far right wing nuts and back woods uneducated preachers to focus on emotional issues that have minimal to no impact to the overwhelming majority of our state's citizens. We are near the bottom in education, but lead in obesity, cigarette smoking and guns, guns, guns.
I'm just waiting for this to be shot down the first time it gets reviewed in court. Morons. Mencken would have a field day skewering these backwards twits.
The instances on still calling this "the don't say Gay bill" is very sorry Journalism.
The bill says absolutely nothing about "Don't say Gay" throughout. Just
another Liberal attack on this particular session of Legislators.
Like I said, if you're going to teach a subject teach everything about it. Wouldn't it be a disservice to students and society as a whole to do otherwise? I don't see what there is to argue about.
NeverFear:
The label "don't say gay" was hung on the bill by its opponents, not by the media. But because of its widespread use, the media sometimes pick it up as short-hand, the way they sometimes talk about "Obamacare," as if Obama and not Congress had crafted that legislation.
Gast:
I don't know what things are like on your home world, but teen pregnancies have been steadily declining in this country.
thank god i don't live in your hick state. and Steve Campfield has got the biggest gay face if i ever did see one
@BattleCat: Brilliant, just brilliant!
@Gast, the High Priest of Ignorance, and NeverFear, the Patron Saint of Rationalization: you both have the right to remain wrong.
On a related note, does it ever dawn on social conservatives that the "liberal media," by virtue of their general predominance, might actually be on to something? Then again, perhaps the truth doesn't quite fit a cancervative agenda. Just sayin'.
@cesran: What non-hick state taught you to start sentences with "and," and to not capitalize proper nouns or the first word in every sentence? Dick.
'“I don’t think ‘Modern Family’ is appropriate for children to watch,” Hensley said solemnly after a Nashville preacher testified children might find out about gay people by seeing the show even if teachers aren’t allowed to say gay in schools.'
A bill to censor Tennesseans' television choices in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....
Republican lawmaker Stacey Campfield may have a gender identity issue of his own, with a girly name like that !
i've never met an emotionally stable homosexual.
the ones i've met have all be self destructive and prone to suicidal fits.
"i've never met an emotionally stable homosexual"
Yes you have, or do you start off every introduction with, "Hi, I'm Davidtoo. Are you gay?"
It's time for the people of Tennessee to express some outrage! These guys want to live with their heads in the sand at the taxpayers' expense. Tennessee is quickly becoming a national laughingstock. No one will want to come here to work ... no one will want to send their children to our universities.
"i've never met an emotionally stable homosexual."
Then you should visit my church. We have a bunch of them.
It's a stupid argument on both sides. Children of all ages in America have full access to pornography of any and every kind. By the time today's kids enter middle school they have already seen gay and lesbian sex of every kind, orgies, moms on teens, daddy and junior the list is endless as are the videos any kid can watch-and they do watch-just ask them.
Both sides show enormous stupidity on this issue.
sp
They want to override parental "indoctrination" of children with other religions by bringing Christianity into school, but they want to protect parental "indoctrination" of children that gays don't exist.
Republicans, go figure.
"Like I said, if you're going to teach a subject teach everything about it. Wouldn't it be a disservice to students and society as a whole to do otherwise? I don't see what there is to argue about."
Glad to hear it. Seems we agree. Now let's not couch it in terms of whose "agenda" this type of learning entails, and instead present the whole picture, leaving nothing out. So join me in calling out this bill as an affront to proper education.
"Education" by its very nature is open to new ideas and discussion, and an encouragement of the student to reach conclusions based upon broad-based inquiry.
"Indoctrination" on the other hand is not open to new ideas, viewpoints or experiences. It is designed to keep the mind of the student within a narrow range. Devices such as forced prayer by agents of approved religions, anti-science textbooks and lessons, prohibition of even the acknowledgement of homosexuality coupled with legal sanction for harassment of homosexuals--these are devices of indoctrination.
The modern GOP has no interest in education. In Tennessee, a war on public education is underway, and it is being waged aggressively by the intellectually deficient GOP members (and some Democrats) in the General Assembly.
I am livid to understand why it is that these liberal/progressive/socialist/commie social engineers and their homosexual perverts think they are entitled to protections under the 14th and equal protection clause!
Show me one... JUST ONE SINGLE CLINICAL STUDY that conclusively, without one question of doubt proves 100% that these people are "born that way" and you'll win me over to support... but you won't because you CAN'T! And please, don't pose one of the many published ABSTRACTS spewed all over the internet. If you pro-butt morons read any one of them in full, you'll find in the summaries that all the studies to date are inclusive calling for further study!!!
A CHOICE OF BEHAVIOR does NOT qualify as a protected right! Polygamy is illegal, child sex is illegal, in most jurisdictions, sex with animals is a crime... as is serial murder, robbery, spousal abuse, etc., etc., etc.! All perverted behaviors that rage against logic and moral dignity, prohibited.
Without that single conclusive study proving homoz were born perverted, you have no case, and for the life of me I fail to grasp why this isn't the prevailing question/test before all the damn courts and legislatures!!!
"Without that single conclusive study proving homoz were born perverted, you have no case, and for the life of me I fail to grasp why this isn't the prevailing question/test before all the damn courts and legislatures!!!"
Where is your single conclusive study that proves that homosexuality is an acquired trait? Your inability to grasp something only indicates your stupidity and close-mindedness. You religious wingnuts really need to pick a new hobbyhorse to ride.
TryCriticalThinking: if sexual preference is a choice, at what age or point did you sit down and review your options and then chose heterosexual. If you ask one million gay men and women, if they chose this, the number who would respond that they always knew or were
"born that way" is in the 99%...there are studies by independent scientists...use google and you'll see. They have found gay men and women in the furtherest reaches of society, in mountain villages in the Himalayas, in remote South American forests...how did they decide that...they were born that way. Talk about things you know not hope or wish.
spooky24: ["It's a stupid argument on both sides. Children of all ages in America have full access to pornography of any and every kind. By the time today's kids enter middle school they have already seen gay and lesbian sex of every kind, orgies, moms on teens, daddy and junior the list is endless as are the videos any kid can watch-and they do watch-just ask them.
Both sides show enormous stupidity on this issue."]
OK, you've certainly shown how the supporters of the don't-say-gay bill are idiots. But where's the stupidity on the other side? You haven't demonstrated that.
GreenHillsBoy first:
"...if sexual preference is a choice, at what age or point did you sit down and review your options and then chose heterosexual..." I didn't have to because I wasn't born with a debilitated logic process. When I got my first 'woody' from the girl that lived behind our house, it became logically evident that the round peg belonged in the round hole... NOT the triangle one!
I suggest you read up on: Dissociative identity disorder; "False memory syndrome (FMS) describes a condition in which a person's identity and relationships are affected by memories which are factually incorrect but are strongly believed..." and Delusional disorder
A delusion is a belief that is clearly false and that indicates an abnormality in the affected person's content of thought, i.e. historical reality.
A person with a delusion will hold FIRMLY to the belief REGARDLESS of evidence to the contrary. Delusions can be difficult to distinguish from the ideas that a person holds, but the affected person has at least some level of doubt as to its truthfulness. A person with a delusion is absolutely convinced that the delusion is real.
Absolutely baffling how the scientific and medical community claims that sexual orientation is not a choice, but rather a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors... YEY THEY COMPLETELY DISSCONNECT from referencing the above disorders (and a myriad of others) from the equation!
"...how did they decide that...they were born that way." Problem for you is... as I defend, YOU HAVE NO CONCRETE PROOF THAT THEY WERE!!!
packrat: I suggest that YOU find and read the studies I reference. In every instance, the researchers are all over the map even suggesting that IT (queerism) IS an environmentally conditioned trait... i.e. learned behavior, i.e. CHOICE! In FACT, I personally witnessed a straight to homo transformation in two old school friends. Want to know how that came about? Short version: they wandered into the wrong NYC party, got drugged, and then got their butts ripped by NYC homos. The shame and guilt drove them into the only place they could be accepted, the homo lifestyle. I heard they're BOTH dead now... of the obvious disease!
Consider "YOUR inability to grasp" the basic fundamentals of simple logic pal!
BTW... like banjo music much? "Deliverance" must have had a profound effect on the both of you!
Queerism?? Is that what they call it in those scientific studies? Sounds real scientific, closet-case.
@packrat... you really should get out of the woods, that banjo music might be satisifying to your ...ahhh, sexual desires, but it is certainly interfering with your intellectual capability...
"...Queerism?? Is that what they call it in those scientific studies?..." First off you should have used quotations around "Queerism"... secondly; I suggest you look up the term "neologism". I happen to be credited with the creation of several core words, including: "Sweathog" (as in pre-WBK), "fraudclosure" and a few others!
Maybe you can handle understanding language better than your lacking command of homosexual BEHAVIORS as it relates to psychology!
TryCriticalTrolling: First, your username has scored you a perfect 10/10 on the irony scale. You personally owe the phrases "logic" and "critical thinking" sincere, heartfelt apologies for such gross misuse. This psuedo-science, armchair pyschology crap is not a good look for you and makes even less sense than justifying your fear/hate/self-hate of homosexuality with Leviticus verses (or your prefered flavor of ancient mythology). Maybe stick with that next time.
Clearly, you niether work in nor have even the most minimal understanding of the field of pyschology (or medicine or science). No research has ever demonstrated a link -- much less suggested one -- between homosexuality and any mental illness. Cite a respectable, peer-reviewed journal that says otherwise or just hurry up and die off with all the other hate-filled bigots so the rest of us can move on.
@Kevin... sorry Einstein you're not moving anywhere; "...so the rest of us can move on..." Notwithstanding genius that I'm retired from (psychological) clinical research (idiotic presumptions are dangerous, arent they), maybe you should find a read on the pre-1973 DSM! Ironic that 4 short years after the homo riots of Stonewall, homosexual enablers and practicing homosexual psychologist members on the APA board gained a majority decided to change the rules. Interesting political history that.
As for you @rat, no, I am NOT maroon[ed] anywhere, are you? Maybe language comprehension is a bit over your pay grade as well! Work on that spelling... soon as you can break away from that banjo music 'in them thar' deep woods.
The bottom line is this: teaching children any perversion has no place in the public school system.
Mr Shade the stupidity on the 'other side' is the constant haggling that 'gay' is more important and should get more rights than anyone else. Face the fact that 95% of the school population is NOT gay. Why can't you understand that the needs of the very many outweigh the needs of the very few-even in America!
The bigger the deal is made of simplistic problems only hurts the one who has the problem.
Next your going to be citing Milton:"humane studies is also for encouraging friendly intercourse" and claiming that he approved of homosexually.
Give it a rest.
sp
This is the result of critical thinking? No, this is the result of ignorance, fear and faulty reasoning. Wheelhouses of the bigot. TryPullingYourHeadOutOfYourOwnAss.
TryCriticalThinking: Try some. Try reading first. Maybe start here:
Brain differences in homosexuals:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,…
That report is about just one in a collection of biological differences that have been found when comparing the bodies of homosexuals and heterosexuals.
Early sensitization to hormonal factors (including maternal hormones in utero) and to triggered-to-active genetic factors affect us all in assorted ways. One thing is for certain: All of us contain and are both female and male. That is evident in the hormones in our bodies. We are each unique expressions of our biological combinations -- and, I dare say, of collective soul factors. On some level beyond the physical, there may be no differentiation. The microcosm contains the macrocosm. The part contains the whole, as science is continually revealing.
Useful to read and consider as well:
"... Rudimentary gender identity at birth, although incomplete, is an important determinant in gender development. The dimorphism of the brain itself suggests a strong biologic underpinning to eventual gender development in the vast majority of individuals. Nevertheless, variations may occur when endogenous or exogenous factors create a fetal environment in which hormone levels do not follow the genetically predetermined pattern. In such situations, the gender bias of these infants may be tilted away from one that correlates with the genotype. Such variations are discussed below...."
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/9179…
Why all of the hostility and name calling, here? I haven't read the legislation. I suspect many here have not either. I do know that when name calling is used, there is a suggestion that the opposite point of view has a baseless argument. If this lesilation is to prevent the use of mentioning that someone is gay , just for the sake of being gay, I have to agree with them. It should be no one's business who is gay. I am not a proponent of homsexuality being a natural way of behavior. I call it behavior, because of the historical, scientific, and biblical facts. There has been a movement since the early 1970s that suggest otherwise. I try to base my beliefs on facts and not on emotion. There must be a scientific law to prove that an individual was born this way. It can not be based just on one's opinion or feeling. I respect your opinion, but pleaes refrain from namecalling if you would like your point of view heard.
