Dealing with sexual orientation in public schools

Time · Feb 21, 2008

This is an article in our town's newspaper today. I was extremely shocked to see this, seeing as how our town is generally very homophobic. I copied it from the website.

What a difference a day makes.

On Jan. 31, two court decisions and one lawsuit in three states made an already hot fight over sexual orientation in public schools even hotter.

In a Massachusetts case, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit by parents who wanted school officials to notify them whenever same-sex couples were mentioned in their children's elementary classrooms.

According to the court, exposure to gay marriage (e.g., reading to second-graders a story about two princes who fall in love) does not constitute "indoctrination" or a discussion of human sexuality, as the parents contended, but rather an age-appropriate acknowledgment of the existence of same-sex couples in a state where gay marriage is legal.

On the same day, a lower court in Maryland rejected a challenge by conservative groups to a new sex-education curriculum in Montgomery County that includes teaching "respect for differences in human sexuality."

Opponents charged that the curriculum promotes homosexuality. Proponents argued that the curriculum gives students information about sexual orientation in a way that is nonjudgmental and fair.

Meanwhile in the Florida Panhandle, the culture-war shoe is on the other foot: The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit, also on Jan. 31, against a high school that reportedly bans all student expression of support for gay rights, extending even to such things as rainbow stickers.

After this dizzying one-day legal whirlwind, school officials may be forgiven for being more anxious than ever about how to handle issues related to sexual orientation without calling a lawyer. One thing is clear: As public acceptance of differences in sexual and gender identity grows, pressure on schools to address these issues will continue to rise.

The Florida school's strategy of banning any mention of sexual orientation is unrealistic and, many would argue, unfair. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students — not to mention same-sex families — are here to stay.

Some state legislators refuse to accept this new reality, pushing for laws that would keep students from being exposed in schools to what they see on television daily. A bill pending in the Tennessee Legislature, for example, would prohibit any discussion of sexual orientation other than heterosexuality in middle and elementary schools.

Other state legislators are moving in the opposite direction by proposing laws to include issues surrounding sexual orientation in the curriculum and to address bullying and harassment of gay students (and students perceived as gay). Not surprisingly, gay-friendly California passed a law last year to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Equally unsurprising, the reaction of many conservative Christians in California has been outrage. Last week, after failing to get a referendum to repeal the legislation, a coalition of conservative religious groups announced a major campaign to "rescue children" by leaving California's public schools.

When religious conservatives insist on all or nothing — either ban all mention of issues concerning sexual orientation or we will abandon ship — public schools can do little to accommodate their concerns.

At the same time, when school officials insist on all or nothing — either accept how we deal with sexual orientation or you can leave — public schools lose the support of many religious parents.

There is a better way. Two years ago, the First Amendment Center joined with the Christian Educators Association International and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to publish "Public Schools and Sexual Orientation: A First Amendment Framework for Finding Common Ground"

This joint statement doesn't prescribe what schools should do, but instead offers a process for dialogue that can lead to public schools that are both safe and free for all students. "A safe school is free of bullying and harassment," says the guide. "And a free school is safe for student speech even about issues that divide us."

Since its publication, a number of school districts have used this guidance to develop policies that promote fairness for all and practices that are widely supported.

It's far easier to file a lawsuit or walk out the door than to reach across the culture-war divide and find ways to work with people who see the world very differently from us. But if we care about the future of our life together as citizens of one nation, it's worth a try.
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The bolded parts really caught my interest.

CrimsonThunder · Feb 21, 2008

Nice read.

stefy18 · Feb 21, 2008

WOW.....!! ppl r so egocentric it makes me sick!

Rette · Feb 21, 2008

*sigh*

Still this crap in public schools? Looks like we still have a lot of work to do.

panda · Feb 21, 2008

It is progress. "One small step"

Wander · Feb 21, 2008

Great news! I love hearing about progress in cases like these.

Jard · Feb 21, 2008

This makes me hate living in Florida even more. :tantrum:

U N Owen · Jan 25, 2011

At least its in the news. Hopefully help people to get to the polls.

roborama · Jan 26, 2011

someday this will all change but its always great to hear of another step

BIloverboy · Aug 12, 2013

I came our and im picked on but i learned they make fun of me because i accept myself

SecretlyASloth · Aug 12, 2013

No offence but my attitude towards those types of entitled religious conservatives is to welcome their departure. You're out of my hair, and that's fine by me . I wonder how many centuries it will take for them to realize that the world does not revolve around them, or if they ever will figure it out.

Dealing with sexual orientation in public schools

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