Here we go with California’s SB48 again, which would force public schools to add gays to its textbooks. Democratic lawmakers there, led by gay Sen. Mark Leno and bolstered by a sympathetic Gov. Jerry Brown, are renewing the effort to make it law that schools teach kids about the contributions of LGBTs throughout history. Naturally the bill has drawn the ire of folks like Republican Sen. Bob Huff who doesn’t want to “sexualize the training of our children at an early age.” So far, it looks like the Huffs of the world have been winning: Democrats have been trying this in California for years.
TommyOC
This is a stupid idea. And this coming from a gay Californian.
Long-story short, this plays right into the right wings’ claims that all we want to do is promote homosexuality in public schools. This is EXACTLY the fear they propagated during the Prop 8 debate. Please do not add another feather to their caps!
And it’s a joke to think that forcing children to learn about minority figures will equate to less bullying of children who aren’t like them.
The only thing that has a snowball’s chance of stopping kids from bullying one another is to emphasize the effects of discrimination in our history and in our modern society and to emphasize the historical figures that helped fix those wrongs. Sure, some of those will be gay, and they should be discussed in that context, but it’s important that we get into our children’s heads that ANY discrimination is wrong.
Schteve
@TommyOC: Eh, I get your reasons for disliking it, but does that mean nothing at all related to homosexuality can ever be taught? I mean, when teaching about bullying, isn’t specifically mentioning sexual orientation also playing into people’s fears that schools are forcing homosexuality upon our children?
The stupid people who can’t tell the difference between promoting homosexuality and teaching about gay historical figures (does including MLK in a class mean you’re promoting blackness?) are going to be saying that no matter what the actual curriculum is. That’s not a reason to shy away from everything remotely related.
TIM O'DONNELL
THE CONTENT OF A MIND, SO INFUSED WITH VULGARITY, CRUDITY TO THE INTH DEGREE AND GENERALLY OBSCENE IS NOT THE LEAST BIT INTERESTING TO ORDINARY PEOPLE. CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY TO MOVE, LET ALONE CONVINCE ANYONE TO EVEN CONSIDER THE POINT OF VIEW. YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT HAPPY, NOT ACCEPTING OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND YOUR CONTROL, AND NOT WILLING TO CONSIDER IT.
PERHAPS IT WOULD BE MORE TO THE POINT OF ACCEPTANCE TO ASK YOURSELF, OTHERS, WHEN DID YOU DECIDE YOU LIKED BOYS, (GIRLS) ? DECIDE BEING THE OPERATIVE WORD.
THE IN YOUR FACE SORDID VULGARITY FOR THE SAKE OF BEING VULGAR, SHOCKING, IS NOT HELPING, SHOULD THAT BE YOUR WISH. MORE LIKELY MAKES ONE THINK YOU DO NOT ACCEPT IT YOURSELF. MOST CERTAINLY WOULD NOT CAUSE A BETTER CHANCE OF WORLDLY ACCEPTANCE BY FOOLISHLY TRYING FOR IT IN SUCH A DISGUSTING TONE.
BY ALL MEANS CONTINUE TO DISGRACE YOURSELF, IT FOR SURE WILL NOT ‘HELP’, AS YOU, AGAIN , OBVIOUSLY DO NOT WANT TO DO.