"Don't Say Gay" bill

Gwendolyn · #21 15th September 2011, 11:16 PM

Ah, my apologies.

This article: Tennessee 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Advances In State Senate seems to indicate that the "Don't Say Gay" bill applies only to curriculum. It doesn't say that teachers and counsellors are prohibited from discussing issues with sexuality in a one-on-one counselling capacity.

I misunderstood and thought that counselling would be prohibited.

Amber the Duskbringer · #22 15th September 2011, 11:27 PM

"a member of the Senate Education Committee, argued the law was already in practice, as it's a misdemeanor to discuss any issues at school outside Tennessee's established "family life" program." On that link seems to indicate otherwise.

Those poor kids

Apollo Celestio · #23 15th September 2011, 11:29 PM

I can see how this topic should be dealt with by parents.. but when you hit the age people come out at..it's often the parents they fear most.

Qyöt27 · #24 15th September 2011, 11:34 PM

In the broader spectrum, I would be tempted to see this as a strange attempt at resisting all sex ed, and the issue of how it might affect homosexual students is just one part of this. Yes, it explicitly lays out that it be kept to reproductive function, but think about sex ed classes - they don't cover just function.

That said, this is elementary and middle school being targeted - we never had primers on relationships in those years*, that was high school material. I just can't help but think that's the real issue here - that misplaced idea about 'don't teach kids about sexual attraction and relationships before they're 15/16' argument, which comes out of the same anti-sex ed crowd.

*Disclaimer: I never had Health class in middle school because I was in an advanced program; function was covered in a section of the 7th grade Life Science curriculum, though. And when I was high school, the closest I got was the function-related points in 9th grade Biology. It's probably different when you're required to have a Health and Hygiene class in middle school. We had a few week course in 'what to expect from puberty' in 5th grade, though.

Note: not that I agree with any of the above, I'm just wondering about the real motives. It wouldn't surprise me if it was meant for a lot more than not talking about homosexuality. If it does mean that the school has to ignore bullying because of that topic, I can only imagine that this is a recipe for trouble. If the country wants to take the issue of bullying and peer intimidation seriously, they have to be able to address it directly.

Amber the Duskbringer · #25 15th September 2011, 11:38 PM

This bullying will probably just be ignored like the ones that led to suicide in a certain aspiring Minnesota presidential candidate's district. It is terribly depressing when you think about it.

BranwenUerchLlyr · #26 15th September 2011, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by kevlite2020

TN senate recently passed a bill that is nicknamed the don't say gay bill. Here's what it says: "any instruction or materials made available or provided at or to a public elementary or middle school shall be limited exclusively to natural human reproductive science."

In a nutshell, this means that from k-8th grade, teachers, counselors, or anybody working in a school may not reference homosexuality in any way, shape, or form. If a student comes to a guidance counselor with questions about identity or homosexuality, the counselor must say "sorry, I'm not allowed to talk about that." If kids are being bullied over suspected or confirmed homosexuality, teachers cannot address the real issue. All they can say is that bullying is wrong.

In the meantime, homosexual teens are one of the biggest targets for bullying, and one of the largest at risk groups for suicide.

This thread isn't about the right or wrong of the LGBT community (as that is against the forum rules). It's about the right or wrongness of this bill. Is it okay to force all educators and school counselors by law to ignore one of the biggest issues in school today? What are your thoughts?

"Natural human reproductive science" would most certainly contain homosexuality. If a politician claims it doesn't, that politician is trying to redefine science.

Gwendolyn · #27 15th September 2011, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by BranwenUerchLlyr

"Natural human reproductive science" would most certainly contain homosexuality. If a politician claims it doesn't, that politician is trying to redefine science.

I think by "reproductive science", he means penis + vagina, since that is the only combination that can reproduce.

Amber the Duskbringer · #28 15th September 2011, 11:51 PM

Sure you need the sperm but ya don't need a penis

kevlite2020 · #29 16th September 2011, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by Gwendolyn

Ah, my apologies.

This article: Tennessee 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Advances In State Senate seems to indicate that the "Don't Say Gay" bill applies only to curriculum. It doesn't say that teachers and counsellors are prohibited from discussing issues with sexuality in a one-on-one counselling capacity.

I misunderstood and thought that counselling would be prohibited.

From what I understand about this bill, the curriculum and instruction includes all school staff (instructors) which means that counselors, as school staff, are banned from discussing homosexuality. Technically, they would consider that as an instructor instructing an unapproved curriculum.

kevlite2020 · #30 16th September 2011, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by BranwenUerchLlyr

"Natural human reproductive science" would most certainly contain homosexuality. If a politician claims it doesn't, that politician is trying to redefine science.

Yeah natural human reproductive science is defined in this bill basically as the reproductive systems and functions that can create babies.

Also, here are some peer reviewed stats on homosexual teens in the classroom:

86.2% of LGBT students reported verbal harrassment due to their sexual orientation.
44.1% were physically harassed.
22.1% were physically assaulted.
32.7% missed a day of school because of feeling unsafe.
They also gave a general statistic that LGBT teens account for 3-4 times the amount of suicide cases than straight teens, nationally.

So clearly, this is a large issue within the classroom and one that is having severe consequences. Studies have also shown that schools which have a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) group see less violence and bullying towards the LGBT community than schools that lack it. This bill would eliminate these groups, and any other extracurricular group that deals with LGBT issues.