It all started when a group of students at Franklin County High School in Winchester, Tennessee (pop.8,527) formed a Gay-Straight Alliance earlier this month.
When parent and small business owner John Wimley got wind of the group, he launched a Facebook page encouraging people to attend the next school board meeting to stand up against the “future ISIS members of America” (AKA gay kids) and “protect traditional marriage.”
Related: PA School District Votes Down GSA. LGBT Youth Group Promises Battle Isn’t Over
“OK F.C. [Franklin County] if we do not ban [SIC] together and stop this B.S. the next thing you know they will have a F.I.M.A. (Future ISIS Members of America) #PutGodInSchoolsPlease,” Wimley rallied. “Time to Stand Up for what is RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
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Other antigay Islamophobes quickly jumped on board.
“GOD bless you for standing for what is right,” Tina K. Millson wrote. “These gays have no right forceing [sic] their lifestyle of sin on these poor children of GOD.”
“Why is it so important for the LBGT WXYZ community to have 100% support with no opposing opinions?” Greg Gunn added.
“School is for learning, library is for reading, restaurants for eating,” Kayla Ehlers said. “Lets [sic] keep loving, hugging, hand holding, kissing, and sexual ordination for our personal lives at home.”
Related: Crowd Gathers To Support 14-Year Old Trying To Start GSA
In response, supporters of the GSA launched their own Facebook page calling on people to boycott Wimley’s business, the Tennessee Car Care Center.
But the damage caused by Wimley was already done.
In a Facebook post, one supporter of the GSA reported that some students has begun wearing “Straight Pride” signs around school and that the GSA’s posters advertising the club’s meetings had been defaced with words like “no gay allowed” and “faggots.”
Despite all this, members of the school’s GSA refuse to be intimidated.
“We are incredibly grateful for this extraordinary showing of love and support for our LGBT community here in rural TN,” the club’s faculty advisor wrote. “We never imagined that the love in the world for us was this strong. Thank you for walking with us on our journey.”
Related: TN High School: Pro-GSA T-Shirts? OK, Fine. An Actual GSA? Haha, No.
Martin Talbot
Bias is a symptom of bad parenting !
Spike
Tennessee. Figures.
Bauhaus
Looks like small [minded] business owner is either gay, or has a gay child. Either way, yikes.
DCguy
“LGBT Pride Club” Meaning: We exist, we would like to take part in society and be treated as people.
“Straight Pride Club” Meaning: We hate Fa**ots, and we don’t want to treat them as equals.
Brian
A lot of these fundamentalist Christians have similar values to fundamentalist Muslims.
drivendervish
Ignorance is alive and well in Tennessee! Anybody surprised?
Jim Philbrick
Gotta love what comes out of the old slave states
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
It’s not just Tennessee that harbors these views…it’s places like New York City too. It’s all over the US.
Sebastian Holiday
No remedy is there?
Glücklich
Ugh, Mr. Glücklich’s from TN. I’d still like to visit but no wonder he wound up across the country.
I’m quick to defend my fellow LGBTs. But the WXYZ community? Burn those heathens at the stake!
Kevin J Desmond
They sound like a bunch of inbreeds … oh-well it is Tennessee after all.
Bauhaus
@Glücklich:
Baffles me such a stunningly beautiful place is so stuck, much like areas of Virginia.
Glücklich
@Bauhaus:
Oh dear. I’ll be attending a thing at Lockheed’s place in Arlington beginning of March.
Bauhaus
@Glücklich:
Arlington is not a problem. At all. Just hop over the bridge to the District. Enjoying the snow?
Dawson
I have learned a long time ago that it is hard to argue with stupid. Every year we read about some group that is offended at the pride of others. REALLY? Why does this effect the truly stupid? Insecurities maybe? It doesn’t have to be the GLBT community. Any ethnic pride is looked by some as an affront to white sensibilities. Straight people sure like fear and labels don’t they (just like the Republican party)
As to someone sinful lifestyle my question is divorce a sin? Working on Sunday a sin? Tattoos a sin (Read Leviticus on the marking on ones flesh)? Are women allowed to leave the bedroom when having their monthly (again read Leviticus). And the list goes on. Should we bring back slavery since didn’t many of the apostles have slaves at one time or another?
What did Forest Gump say about stupid?
Dakotahgeo
If one checks the spelling, grammar misuse, punctuation, and various other sundry mistakes of the down home hillbilly uneducated fools, we might be able to pinpoint where exactly they grew up in, but ascertaining WHICH shoe box they entered/exited would be an exercise in futility. But then… TENNESSEE! Nothing more needs to be said!
Glücklich
@Bauhaus:
Eh, not snowing here. I’m inside all day anyway and the hotel’s a fifteen minute walk from the office. Colder’n I’d like, that’s all.
Nahald
Seems to me this guy, John Wimley, is a member of the American version of the Taliban. As for thehis quote “protect traditional marriage.” I presume he hasn’t heard about the Supreme Court Decision regarding that. But, just as another poster said, you can’t reason with stupid, so why bother.
cabe
“Lets [sic] keep loving, hugging, hand holding, kissing, and sexual ordination for our personal lives at home.” —— Tell that to all the straight teems w/ raging hormones who are making out in the hallway. That was def. a common sight at my high school.
Justin Weeks
What a bunch of losers cause it totally makes since for gay ppl to want to join a group that kills gay ppl yep that’s some logic right there
John Kuehnle
I was wondering what state it was…shocker.
Scott McIntosh
It’s Tennessee………they are mad down there
Mark Pointon
Stache
@Dawson: I really don’t understand how something that effects you or your kids 0% makes these ignorant bubba’s so aggressive. You’re right though. It’s always a type of person.
Chris Vogel
This is, after all, Tennessee. Maybe they lynch fewer blacks, and have integrated, after all these years, their high school proms, but stupid, arrogant, and vicious prejudice is obviously alive and well. It is not just pathetic, but disturbing in light of the damage that these bigots are doing to those of their children (the usual percentage) who are bisexual or homosexual.