Calif. city phases out lesson vs. bullying gays

[Forkboy]

ALAMEDA, Calif. - A San Francisco Bay area school board will use broad lessons against bias to replace a curriculum against bullying gay people that had become a national centerpiece in the opposition to same-sex marriage.

The vote by the Alameda Board of Education on Tuesday did little to ease tensions in the island city near Oakland.

A lawsuit and threats of recalling school board members accompanied debate over the so-called Lesson 9 curriculum adopted in May to prevent antigay bullying.

Gay parents in the community wanted their children protected from bullying, while other parents argued that elementary school is too early to talk to students about gay people.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/12/11/calif_city_phases_out_lesson_vs_bullying_gays/

[QC]

1. Why would anyone unrec this thread? n/t

[saigon68]

4. A lot of Bigoted disrupters here lately

[FreeState]

6. There is a lot of homophobia on DU

It's sometimes subtle and often zapped by admin but it's here until admin decides to do something about it.

[QC]

9. jazzjunkysue got banned for unreccing all the LGBT threads. n/t

[FreeState]

11. THanks for letting me know... lets hope they get the others too n/t

[Newsjock]

2. A once-proud nation in decline

The non-sequitur in the lead sentence is stunning in its ignorance.

[mrbarber]

3. Why do straight people think being gay is all about sex?

Just because it's important to teach children that it's not okay to bully little Timmy because he has two Mommies or Daddies does not equal talking about sex.

Of course, people who would oppose this see no problem with harrasing the children of gay couples. Hell, it's a excuse I've heard people use about denying gay couples the right to adopt.

"Think of the children!" my ass.

[Touchdown]

5. They see no problem because Little Timmy is going to roast in Hell for Eternity.

It's a Christian's duty to groom and prepare him for it.

[NMMNG]

7. "Don't beat up gay kids" = "Hey, go be gay y'all!"

At least in the minds of certain deranged, hateful people who like to use their "religious beliefs" as a battering ram against others.

[FBaggins]

8. Good

Oh... No, not like that. I just figured it would get you to read it. :)

There are two ways to teach kids not to pick on Joey for being different. Either you show them that Joey really ISN'T different from you... That what they see is perfectly normal and it's ok to be like Joey... Or you teach them that it isn't ok to pick on someone just because he's different... Whether YOU think he's normal or not.

Both methods will help Joey... But one teaches children that they have a choice based on whether or not they are convinced that it's ok to be "x". I don't think we should reinforce that.

My point is that we shouldn't WANT to teach kids that the reason you don't bully is because your victim is not really a bad guy... Because bullying isn't something that remains ok for people that you have yet to sympathize with.

We should be able to protect Joey by teaching kids that it isn't ok to abuse people just because they're different... Not because we've suceeded in training then that any particular group isn't different.

Caveat: I haven't seen the original curriculum and am basing this on public reports that may include bias by opposition.

[Forkboy]

10. Your teaser worked.

;)

Good post.