I met an educator last night at a party who agreed to help some kids at her high school form a gay-straight alliance club. This is in Idaho. They wrote up their club charter and submitted it to the principal, who forwarded it to the school board. Many of the high schools in the area already have such clubs. School board made up some lame-ass reply that schools
were forming too many student clubs (WTf?). Dragged their feet.

The students and their advisor decided to organize a day to support the rights of all students, anti-bullying, etc. Got permission, put up posters (which included the words "gay" and "lesbian" (gasp) and had tables with rainbow pins available. I guess about three hundred of eighteen hundred students picked up and wore the pins. This advisor told me that none of the LDS kids wore the pins. I guaranteed her that MANY of the LDS kids probably wanted to, but didn't dare! Because I know for years I wanted to put one of those "Idaho is too great for hate" bumper stickers on my car, and sadly, I didn't dare. Sad. Sad. Why did we spend soo much energy worrying about what our fellow members would think???

One of the things the homophobes do not realize is that they have lost the culture wars. The youth of today are increasingly gay supportive. It is only a matter of time until enough of the old hate mongers die off and enough of today's youth taking their places in positions of power and all of this will be sad history.

Looking forward to the day we no longer need clubs like the gay straight alliance.

BTW, if you don't mind, what part of Idaho? Pocatello is having their annual gay pride festival August 20th at the Old Town Pavilion. If you are in the area and want to show some support and maybe have some fun, stop on by! If you are in Boise, they are having their gay pride parade and festival Tomorrow, June 18! Yes, gays are everywhere, even Pocatello Idaho!

I agree the youth of today are gay supportive and that is good. Educators abhore bullying. We really do. I however, DON'T think a club that concentrates on sexual orientaion belongs in schools. Health class and Character Eduucation is where this should be handled. If they want a club to meet after school for mutual support I am all for that. Please people agendas don't belong in a school setting during regular school hours. Sorry, just my opinion and I know I will get flamed. It will be said I am prejudiced....far from the truth. The man who was the pianist at my wedding was gay and he is the ONLY person I would have. As I mentioned before as an educator I will not stand for bullying of any person-male or female....gay or straight.

But it is not. Someone much wiser than I once said "Being gay is not about sex, I could never again have sex and I would still be gay. I wouldn't be a very happy gay, but I would still be gay".

But hey, keep those gays hidden form those in school eh? That's the way to handle it, eh? It was the STUDENTS that wanted to form the club, the students already KNOW about the issues and want to be involved in the SOLUTION. But oh, no, we can't have students getting involved in helping to solve complex and current issues now can we?

<Heavy sarcasm mode off>

I am so glad you and your view about Gay Straight alliance seem to be losing, even in the most Conservative areas. Trying to hide gays away is NOT the right thing to do.

And if you want to hide sexuality, then I guess you also support stopping all the stuff like proms and dances, right? All those kids flaunting their sexuality by dancing with each other! Gawd, take it to the health class.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2011 11:44AM by MJ.

That is what the sentence said.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2011 11:50AM by dthenonreligious.

And as I have said, if you want to do away with things that deal with "sexual orientation" better do away with all the school dancing and the whole homecoming "king" and "queen" thing.

Oh, and teachers should be prohibited from talking about their wives or husbands in front of students.

So, let's all try getting past being hung up on a word and deal with what the reality of being gay is all about, shall we?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2011 12:02PM by MJ.

You are at at again. YOU said Keep Gays Hidden.....YOU said that. I n ever did. Nice try. And nowhere in my comment did I say gays should be hidden. They can openly express their opinions just as straight kids can. You are just not good at reading huh, MJ.

To you gays need to hide who they are in school, it ONLY belongs in Health class. Your words "I however, DON'T think a club that concentrates on sexual orientation belongs in schools." Why not? Why CAN'T gays be WHO THEY ARE and join a club based on WHO THEY ARE????? No, sorry, you are saying that gays should NOT join a club based on WHO THEY ARE, thus you are saying they should NOT be allowed to express who they are.

There is a reason that gay students need a "special" club where they can express themselves. My gay students have problems at school and at home BECAUSE they are gay -- problems that straight students do not have. I have had students kicked out of their homes, not because they were doing anything, but because of who they are. I had a student kicked out 3 months before graduation because she would not "stop being gay." I had a student who was not allowed to come to school until he learned to "man up" and stop being a f*****, according to his father. He was kept out of school for 4 years before the state intervened. I had a young woman who was taken to court by the mother of her girlfriend because she "made" her girlfriend gay. The mom tried to beat the gay out of the daughter, and the school security officer believed the mother when she claimed it was my student who did the beating, even though my student had documentation of what was really going on. All of this happened last year at the high school I teach at.

Gay-straight alliances are not "sex clubs". They are support groups for kids who have every right to be in school and learn, yet face hurdles in receiving that education.

honestone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree the youth of today are gay supportive and
> that is good. Educators abhore bullying. We really
> do. I however, DON'T think a club that
> concentrates on sexual orientaion belongs in
> schools. Health class and Character Eduucation is
> where this should be handled. If they want a club
> to meet after school for mutual support I am all
> for that. Please people agendas don't belong in a
> school setting during regular school hours. Sorry,
> just my opinion and I know I will get flamed. It
> will be said I am prejudiced....far from the
> truth. The man who was the pianist at my wedding
> was gay and he is the ONLY person I would have. As
> I mentioned before as an educator I will not stand
> for bullying of any person-male or female....gay
> or straight.


These clubs are for gay children that have parents like my gay Mormon friend's wife who has her children laughing at gay people. It wouldn't need to exist if people weren't taught bigotry as i don't believe prejudices are hardwired in at birth.

No club was allowed to meet during school hours.

I'm not sure how it works in Idaho, but I can image it being pretty similar.

Could you please provide examples of where the GSA clubs meet during school hours?

Also could you please explain how a GLBT student in Idaho would receive non-judgemental support in their health class?

In CA, GSA clubs are common. So are clubs like MEChA, Habitat for Humanity, Bible Club, Best Buddies and Chess Club. Students with similar interests, needs, challenges get together and talk, plan, and do activities.

By the way, Best Buddies is a club where average students get a special needs buddy. It is amazing and brings a great deal of understanding.

I don't understand why a campus that would allow all of these groups would not allow a GSA. Many schools have shut down ALL of their clubs because there were one or two controversial clubs.

By the way... where I teach most kids couldn't give a rip if their friends are gay or straight, and the ones that do care know they'd better keep their mouth shut. They do joke about it... it often gets pushed over a line... but teenagers do that. The adults step in when they hear it. Mostly, it's the usual healthy teenage overdose of hormones and curiosity that spurs it on.

I am super glad California does not think gays the way YOU do. I am super glad the California government does NOT thing teaching about gays belongs HIDDEN away in Heath classes. I am super glad that California KNOWS that gays should be integrated at all levels INCLUDING education and not hidden away in some class that treats being gay as ONLY a health class type issue.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/14/california-gay-history-law-jerry-brown_n_898745.html

Again, being gay is MORE than sexuality, it is about love, companionship, it is about socializing with like minded and supportive people, it is about who one wants to grow old with. NONE of which should be hidden away in a health class.

What about school dances and Prom? Doesn't that focus on sexual orientation? Oh, I see. It's ONLY offensive if it involves a homosexual orientation.
"Please people agendas don't belong in a school setting during regular school hours."
ABSURD!!! I think that you meant to say, "agendas that I don't agree with don't belong in a school setting during regular school hours."
I pay for your spawn to be educated!! The days of ignoring the presence and contributions of GLBT people in the PUBLIC schools are coming to an end. And California (no surprise) is once again leading the way.

That bit about the "gay pianist" really struck me as well. It was so patronizing I didn't even know where to start.

It's like the bigots that say stuff like "I'm not prejudice, I have black friends, I just don't want them living in my neighborhood (or marrying my daughter)"

Or how they loved entertainers like Sammy Davis Jr., but Sammy was not allowed in the casinos he would perform at, other than to perform. Yeah, he was good enough to entertain, but not good enough to rub elbows with.

Reminds me of when my mom once said, "I'm tired of being called a bigot!" to which my first thought was "then stop being bigoted then." Of course, I just changed the subject to keep the peace because I'm a coward. But you get my point.

Being a coward only leaves the bigots and bullies in control.

MJ- You are a great example. You should never be bullied into silence. :)

Things have improved considerably. The idea that teaching about gays belongs only in heath class is going the way of segregated schools. One day people will look back on the claims that teaching about gays should be limited to health class (or not at all) as just as bigoted as the claims that schools should remain segregated.

Funny thing is, those that supported segregation used the exact same sort of language as honestone. The "I have no problem with blacks, my maid is black, but I don't want them in MY school" is very comparable to "I have no problem with gays, the musician that played at my wedding is gay, but gay issues should be limited to health class". Both are saying "they are OK as a servant class, but not for schools".

Yeah, forget about the historical significance of things like the Stonewall Riots and their impact on societies throughout the world. Forget about the historical significance of how Alan Turing, his accomplishments, important contributions in winning WWII and how an ungrateful nation had him chemically castrated, took away his lively hood, and eventually drove him to suicide because he was gay. Forget about all that, the gay issue should ONLY be taught as a sexual health issue, not as a social movement, or as a persecuted class, etc.. At least according to honestone when honestone claims "Health class and Character Eduucation is where this [being gay] should be handled"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2011 08:17PM by MJ.

Oh, and I love gay florists, gay stylists, too. Want me to mention more???? You guys are a hoot. I mention one person who from my past meant a lot to me and although it wouldn't matter if he was gay or not, I thought I would mention that yrs. ago I had no problem with gays and still don't. But carry on with your rude insults. It is how you operate when someone has a different take on how to handle something done in the school setting. Carry on!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2011 03:01PM by honestone.

How condescending are you going to get?

The truly sad thing is, you seem to have no idea how patronizing and insulting you are being. You don't even see the problem you do have with gays. Oh, no they can't join a club based on who they REALLY are, their sexuality, ACCORDING TO YOU belongs ONLY in health class. Oh, no that attitude is NOT hateful and harmful towards gays, right? Pht.

Why is it that you never say I love my gay FRIENDS, it is always some sort of service person???? Is being a service person the ONLY thing gays are good for in your life?

Some day you MAY look back and see how your comments are so much like the bigots that claimed they were not bigots but said "blacks did not belong in white schools"

We can only hope, but I have seen enough of your ilk to know for certain, the problem is with you and your unrecognized problems with gays, not with me, or sonoma, or newcomer or anyone else that recognized your statements for the condescending crap that they are.

Thank the leaders in California that realized that teaching about gays needs to COME OUT OF THE HEALTH CLASS CLOSET. That teaching about gays also belongs in HISTORY class.

But more to the point; it is time for the public schools, which I (and almost every gay person that I know) pay THOUSANDS of dollars to every year, to be forced to stop HIDING the contributions of GLBT People to ALL FACETS of Civilization. It's the public schools all over this country that pretend that all those who have built this world are straight, and that is a lie. The lie is going to stop. We are going to TAKE BACK our history! It has already begun in California. You can be on the side that will inevitably fail, or you can come over to the side that will inevitably win. Your choice.

Yes, MJ, it was. Sorry, just a little rusty here! Loved reading your posts after I had to leave. Thanks for representin'!!

"I pay for your spawn to be educated!!"

<snort> I really really like that line. ;-)

They think that I'm gonna subsidize the little shits and not express an opinion? yeah, right...

The truly sad thing is, you seem to have no idea how patronizing and insulting you are being
well said MJ!

You just don't understand that I am being deliberate. Because I have no more respect for bigots or those that apologize for bigots.

Just as I am condescending towards Fred Phelps, I am condescending to bigots of all stripes and persuasion.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2011 09:47PM by MJ.

Other than one guy that works at a pet store, I didn't know there were that many gays here in my community.

There is likely an informal group of gays and lesbians that socialize via a loose network of parties, pot lucks, etc.. Often someone will post a phone number of email address so those that are not a part of the group.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/us/02utah.html

Actually honestone, the state of Utah had the same concerns as you about sex and prohibiting activities that violate “community morals" in GSA clubs. From the article:

Jason Osmanski, a 17-year-old junior who was a driving force behind the new alliance at Snow Canyon High School and now serves as its president, said that while members sometimes shared stories of harassment, they did not need to discuss sexuality at the meetings.

So, sorry, but kids need a place to talk about this stuff. You can't guarantee sex won't ever come up, but seriously, is it worth not having the resource at all?? Pretty weak argument there.