- May 16, 2006
- 6,529
- 1,648
- 36
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Skeptic
- Marital Status
- Single
- Politics
- US-Green
http://www.wsmv.com/story/31170860/franklin-county-schools-gay-straight-alliance-divides-community
This is from my neck of the woods and it occurs to me that a particular opposition to this club, which isn't remotely based in morality, but pragmatism, brings up a debate that could be interesting for discussion. His argument was that both religious and clubs of a sexual nature shouldn't be at school period. He is a Christian himself, so he definitely stands out among the crowd that oppose it on moral grounds that it's somehow inappropriate or sending some message of encouraging homosexuality or such, which is fundamentally inaccurate
The Equal Access Act of 1984 was passed in particular for school bible clubs after school. P7 is one of the major groups, FCA somewhat falling under a religious club as well. The GSA's existence, along with GLSEN, spans around 25 years of history and yet suddenly it's an issue. It's not the only time this has been contested by schools: I beleive as far back as the early 2000s, Salt Lake had opposition to the GSA and their only solution under federal and state law would've been to close all the clubs.
Federal funding isn't technically at risk if you read the act's text in regard to that, but lawsuits don't come cheap either.
The opposition in my area seems small by comparison to the outpouring of support from various areas. For any who would say it's not necessary, that gay kids have no reason to not feel safe, I'd say to consider their position rather than your own: they're in a minority and society still tends to suggest they're lesser than straight people in some sense for just being what they are.
The opposition on practical grounds brought up an idea that I think everyone can get behind, regardless of your position on the GSA at schools: zero tolerance bullying statutes in schools should be enforced. There are reports of bullying at my alma mater of gay students in one form or fashion, including throwing food or drink at them in the cafeteria and taking down or defacing their signs with slurs. Yet the faculty seem to do nothing, as if they just turn a blind eye and don't want to rock the boat. Is that right? I'd sincerely hope you don't condemn people to being demeaned like these kids are, their classmates deriding them for being gay and trying to brush it off as just teasing, when it's not.
This is from my neck of the woods and it occurs to me that a particular opposition to this club, which isn't remotely based in morality, but pragmatism, brings up a debate that could be interesting for discussion. His argument was that both religious and clubs of a sexual nature shouldn't be at school period. He is a Christian himself, so he definitely stands out among the crowd that oppose it on moral grounds that it's somehow inappropriate or sending some message of encouraging homosexuality or such, which is fundamentally inaccurate
The Equal Access Act of 1984 was passed in particular for school bible clubs after school. P7 is one of the major groups, FCA somewhat falling under a religious club as well. The GSA's existence, along with GLSEN, spans around 25 years of history and yet suddenly it's an issue. It's not the only time this has been contested by schools: I beleive as far back as the early 2000s, Salt Lake had opposition to the GSA and their only solution under federal and state law would've been to close all the clubs.
Federal funding isn't technically at risk if you read the act's text in regard to that, but lawsuits don't come cheap either.
The opposition in my area seems small by comparison to the outpouring of support from various areas. For any who would say it's not necessary, that gay kids have no reason to not feel safe, I'd say to consider their position rather than your own: they're in a minority and society still tends to suggest they're lesser than straight people in some sense for just being what they are.
The opposition on practical grounds brought up an idea that I think everyone can get behind, regardless of your position on the GSA at schools: zero tolerance bullying statutes in schools should be enforced. There are reports of bullying at my alma mater of gay students in one form or fashion, including throwing food or drink at them in the cafeteria and taking down or defacing their signs with slurs. Yet the faculty seem to do nothing, as if they just turn a blind eye and don't want to rock the boat. Is that right? I'd sincerely hope you don't condemn people to being demeaned like these kids are, their classmates deriding them for being gay and trying to brush it off as just teasing, when it's not.
Last edited:
