One Town's War on Gay Teens

[EmperorNorton]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics...teens-20120202

Article is too long to post here.

[Loki]

Disturbing on so many levels.

[Timbuk2]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics...teens-20120202

Article is too long to post here.

"Open your eyes, people," Anderson recently wrote to the local newspaper. "What if a 15-year-old is seduced into homosexual behavior and then contracts AIDS?"

[Aimless]

God damn it where is the counter war?

[LittleFuzzy]

God damn it where is the counter war?

San Francisco, New York, and LA? The Massachusetts legislature, California courts, and the Congress which just repealed DADT? The spread of GSA's and related school clubs across the country? The obvious growth in tolerance, acceptance and visibility of "gay" issues over the last 40 years, much of it concentrated in the last 20?

[Lebanese Dragon]

San Francisco, New York, and LA? The Massachusetts legislature, California courts, and the Congress which just repealed DADT? The spread of GSA's and related school clubs across the country? The obvious growth in tolerance, acceptance and visibility of "gay" issues over the last 40 years, much of it concentrated in the last 20?

I don't think any of those things is relavent to this community, they felt none of it, for them there was no resistance.


The side of tolerance may be winning the war on net, but they're sadly losing many of the battles along the way. Who wants to call themselves a Christian when you have these idiots running around. That have no understanding of the reprecussions of their actions. Sad time-period for America, though there have been worse eras in our history.

[Loki]

I think they understand very well what the consequences of their actions are. They simply don't care about the lives of gays, and if anything, want them to suffer to serve as an example to others.

[Lebanese Dragon]

You're probably right, as sad as that is.

[Aimless]

San Francisco, New York, and LA? The Massachusetts legislature, California courts, and the Congress which just repealed DADT? The spread of GSA's and related school clubs across the country? The obvious growth in tolerance, acceptance and visibility of "gay" issues over the last 40 years, much of it concentrated in the last 20?

No I mean like destroying gay-hating grandmother associations

[Loki]

They'll quite literally die off.

[Aimless]

Not with Obama's grandma-saving healthcare revolutions they won't.



Honestly, this article made me go and

The school board's thorough investigation finds that none of this had anything to do with the school board's policy, because the school board's policy had nothing to do with the unchecked bullying and bullying didn't have anything to do with the suicides anyway. This was only due to "mental illness", which can't possibly be caused by bullying and being isolated. Evidence? Well, they were gay weren't they? That's both a symptom and a cause of mental illness innit.

I wonder if it'd do any good to expose and possibly punish the kids who were most involved in the bullying, or the adults who made sure it wasn't stopped. Like you, I don't think they were particularly bothered by the negative consequences of their actions. Perhaps you could accomplish something through public humiliation and legal smackdowns?





And what the hell, they could kill off discussions about gayness in schools, block a GSA club, and also get an annual anti-gay/pro-Christianity extravaganza??

[LittleFuzzy]

No I mean like destroying gay-hating grandmother associations

The gay-hating grandmothers have just as much right to organize and associate as those of us participating in a GSA, PFLAAG chapter, or related organization. Their associations are being destroyed the only tolerable way such can be, by our increasing visibility and assimilation altering cultural values. Are you under the impression that there is some faster, more effective way to change social values? Besides violence which I assume you don't think is an option that can be considered on the table?

[Loki]

What gets me is how cowardly the teachers in these schools are. If they think the policy is wrong, violate it (considering how vague the policy was, it's not clear the district would really even try to punish them). Firstly, it's the moral thing to do. And secondly, the union would block any attempt to fire them. Quite frankly, I wouldn't even want to teach in a district where the school board is this insane.

[LittleFuzzy]

What gets me is how cowardly the teachers in these schools are. If they think the policy is wrong, violate it (considering how vague the policy was, it's not clear the district would really even try to punish them). Firstly, it's the moral thing to do. And secondly, the union would block any attempt to fire them. Quite frankly, I wouldn't even want to teach in a district where the school board is this insane.

I do understand the approach, the driving job-security need to not be visible or make waves against that sort of hostility but at the same time speaking up with some sharp "cut that out"s or sending a few students to the counselor's office or administrator's office when they're surrounding another student and taunting them, regardless of the specific pejorative content is pretty easily defensible on any grounds considering the basic anti-bullying policy, and doesn't uphold homosexuality or violate "neutrality" in any way. It seems to be that quite a bit more could have been done even within the scope of the district policy, and damn well should have been done, certainly after the two or three suicides when it was apparent that pressure on the students, whatever its source, was just way too high.

[Loki]

Exactly. The article points out how ambiguous the policy was. There was quite a lot of room to maneuver for anyone who wanted to keep their job but also do something about the problem. Just about everyone in that town should be ashamed of their actions (or more accurate, their inactions). I also find it odd that the teacher's union did nothing about a serious threat to their teachers' autonomy and ability to perform their jobs. But I guess they care more about union dues than about minor things like that.

[Aimless]

"I think for all of us, our experience in public schools is there have always been bullies. Always have been, always will be. I just don't know how we're ever going to get to the point of zero tolerance."

[Loki]

There have always been criminals and always will be. I guess we should stop prosecuting them.

[Aimless]

Or we could just do our damnedest to make sure the originator of that quote never gets any influence worth mentioning.

[Loki]

Welcome to local politics and school boards: the home of the ignorant, the racist, and the petty tyrant.

[Dreadnaught]

I've always struggled to understand:

Is it petty tyrant? Or petit tyrant?

After all, it's actually petit larceny, right?

[Loki]

It's "petty", because they don't really have much power.

As for the other part, "petty larceny" is the dominant spelling nowadays.

[CitizenCain]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics...teens-20120202

Article is too long to post here.

Kinda adds another reason not to give a shit about the "death of small town America," eh? Good riddance to bad rubbish and all that.

[oldmunchkin]

Kinda adds another reason not to give a shit about the "death of small town America," eh? Good riddance to bad rubbish and all that.

I know that you dislike "small town America" but ya know what? Not every small town is as ignorant as this *big city* and their narrow-minded policies! For Christ's sake...I live in Bum-fucked Nowhere, USA and we still don't treat gay people like this district did! Do we have a lot of GLBT people in town? No! Do we treat the few we have like fuck-ups? Hell NO! Most small towns don't give a flying fuck who you are fucking, other than gossip value! As far as I know, we only have about 15 people here who are gay. Everyone knows it and no one cares! Kinda one of those things, WTFever!

[CitizenCain]

And if homophobic bigotry was the only big sin or failing or small town America, you'd have a point. But bigotry in general, never mind JUST bigotry aimed at tha h0m0s, is just one of the many reasons the world would be better off without your typical small town.

[Veldan Rath]

I'm not sure I can agree with you on this one Cain, the culture war is moving into the small towns as well. At least here in Maine, a lot of the towns are just 'You mind your beeswax and I'll mind mine' which fits into my mind set just nicely.

If yer talking about how DULL they can be, well, yeah, but that is why GLOD made cars and the interwebs.

[CitizenCain]

Was thinking more along the lines of how gossipy and involved in everyone's life the typical small town is (in my experience anyway), but sure, dull's a factor too.

[Loki]

http://news.yahoo.com/sc-mayor-sneak...151616628.html

Small-town America.

[CitizenCain]

Thank you for that corrective. Most small towns aren't breeding grounds for bigotry and hatred, just for petty tyranny, corruption and oppression.

That said, the truly remarkable thing about that story is that dickless there hasn't wound up dead or "missing" yet, meaning there's no one in that town with a brain and a set of balls to match... which probably explains how a shitbag like him got elected mayor in the first place.

[Lewkowski]

And if homophobic bigotry was the only big sin or failing or small town America, you'd have a point. But bigotry in general, never mind JUST bigotry aimed at tha h0m0s, is just one of the many reasons the world would be better off without your typical small town.

I find it amusing you think small towns have more bigotry than big cities. Surely folks in big cities don't voluntarily segregate themselves at all...

[Lewkowski]

What gets me is how cowardly the teachers in these schools are. If they think the policy is wrong, violate it (considering how vague the policy was, it's not clear the district would really even try to punish them). Firstly, it's the moral thing to do. And secondly, the union would block any attempt to fire them. Quite frankly, I wouldn't even want to teach in a district where the school board is this insane.

Don't ever expect teachers to make the right decision.

That being said... ultimately the person or group of people responsible for the suicides... are the ones who committed suicide. Do I condone the tolerance of bullying? Nope. But people never want to pin personal responsibility where it belongs.