Tennessee Anti-Bullying Law Change Could Allow Students To Speak Out Against Gays...

[theJosephDean]

Less than one month after a local gay teen took his own life after allegedly being tormented at his high school, a proposed change in a Tennessee law could protect students who engage in anti-gay bullying if they do so for religious reasons.

As local news channel WSMV is reporting, the proposed law change by state lawmakers would allow students to speak out against homosexuality without punishment if that's what their religious beliefs call for. The bill is reportedly a top priority for the conservative Family Action Council of Tennessee -- as the Chattanooga Times Free Press notes, the group's December newsletter says it hopes "to make sure [the law] protects the religious liberty and free speech rights of students who want to express their views on homosexuality."

Added conservative activist David Fowler...

Full article:
Tennessee Anti-Bullying Law Change Could Allow Students To Speak Out Against Gays For Religious Reasons: Report

I've said this before. I'll say it again. I hate living here.

[lazyboy]

So they've found a way to continue the bullying and STILL say they've got an anti-bullying law?

"*Family* Action Council"... "religious liberty"... they really know how to choose their words.
Sounds like just about anything can be called a "right" these days.

[person54]

How in the world is it okay just because it's religiously motivated? How does that even sound close to okay, especially if you replace gay with other groups it sounds just as nasty.

[Emberstone]

in consercative right wing/republican culture, 'religious liberties' is a buzz word for 'fuck you, fuck people who are differant, and fuck jesus for being a socialist'. the moment someone brings up religious liberties, you know that there is a good chance that person is first and foremost, anti-america, and secondly, anti-liberty. those people don't comprehend the facts that the constitution itself defines the limits of religious freedom and religious liberty as being practicing your faith in the privacy of your own life. it also mandates that religious people cannot force their religious beliefs on others.

[Aeon Magus]

Freedom of speech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scroll down to "Limitations".
Freedom of speech, my ass.

[Ridiculous]

"...would allow students to speak out against homosexuality without punishment if that's what their religious beliefs call for."

"...would allow students to speak out against asians without punishment..."

"...would allow students to speak out against women without punishment..."

"...would allow students to speak out against the disabled without punishment..."

"...would allow students to speak out against slaves requesting freedom without punishment..."


Is there a difference? I think we as a society needs to come to the realisation that some moral views are just plain wrong. Allowing them to be pardoned, or even worse encouraged, is disgusting.

[dairyuu]

"...would allow students to speak out against homosexuality without punishment if that's what their religious beliefs call for."

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't that essentially the same as "...would allow students to speak out against blacks/asians/arabs/mormons/etc. without punishment...."? It's discrimination for discrimination's sake. And in the wake of all these suicides by gay teens! It's horrifying how some people think problems like bullying should be solved (hint: it's not by legalizing the cause of the problem).

[Emberstone]

millions of christians openly support with their faith the lgbt community, and embrace them with love. the rest are not christians, because christ rejects hatred, and views it as against gods will.

so technically, homophobic bullying being protected is a direct assult on the religious freedoms from real christians (who actually put jesus's teachings on how we are suposed to treat all people to heart.)

[jargon]

Devil's advocate here: how exactly is "speaking out against homosexuality" defined? I'm sure it does not explicitly grant anyone the right to harass or physically abuse individuals based on their homosexuality. Likewise, in the U.S., its perfectly legal under free speech for someone to express the opinion that people of another race are morally or intellectually inferior. That's why Neo-Nazi groups and the KKK are in principle legal in this country, altho the KKK in particular is frequently banned for other reasons.

As far as I know, there aren't usually laws that restrict this further in public schools. Active bullying should be punishable regardless of reasons. Some special groups get the hate-crime label attached, but homosexuals still don't have that nationwide anyways. It sounds like this law is designed to prevent schools from punishing students simply for being openly homophobic, which does not entail bullying people who are gay. To my ears at least, that's perfectly in line with free speech in the U.S. in general.

[Alexandria]

Well, I look at it this way - if their 'religious beliefs' demand them to call me a fag, queer, homo, and demand for me to burn in hell while trying to rape my rights and (barely) suppressing their bible born desire to kill me, then my beliefs demand I speak out against their faith; how bloodthirsty it is, how savage it is, how ignorant it is, point out the millions of lives that have been senselessly slaughtered at the hands of their faith, how childish they are; while hoping I can educate at least some of them.

I don't get depressed or sad when attacked like this. I fight back; and you folks subjected to this nonsense should too. As Bugs Bunny (one of the original bisexual crossdressing characters out there ) said, "fight fire with fire, I always say". Perhaps when they feel - IF they can still feel anything - the sting of our reply, especially given that our words have a ring of truth to them, perhaps then they MIGHT get reminded we are all human and all feel.

[AloneOutHere]

That's so unfair! They are protecting the kids who bully and bully until kids decide life is not worth it and take their lives'?? that's.. it's.. .

Does the law only exist in tennessee?

[Chouchou]

I lived in Tennessee for ten years, and while it's totally unfair to say that these people are characteristic of the population (I know or knew many Tennesseeans who are incredibly open-minded and accepting), this news is definitely not surprising. Where I lived, there seemed to be a church every couple hundred yards, some of which were enormous. Tennessee is not a state to which I would choose to settle, despite all the friends my family still has there, because I want to live openly without having to deal with too many religious zealots (and racists) both in the community and in public office who would love to see me oppressed.

[LdSlnce]

If those people really were religious, then they'd NOT hate the rainbow (the flag is a rainbow, and a rainbow covers a broad range, so...) community.

No one has any right to judge one another unless they have never sinned. And I think it's safe to say that we all have.

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by LdSlnce

If those people really were religious, then they'd NOT hate the rainbow (the flag is a rainbow, and a rainbow covers a broad range, so...) community.

No one has any right to judge one another unless they have never sinned. And I think it's safe to say that we all have.

Ya know, I really get annoyed with the perpetuated myth that all people are 'sinners'; that 'all are born with sin'.

Bull****.

Its a myth, a flat out lie to make people feel guilty for no reason; as people who feel guilty are far easier to manipulate and trick to ignore good sense. No one is born as a sinful, evil person. Everyone is born with the equal potential to be good or evil. It is a combonation of environment, upbringing and surrounding factors that will make someone go 'good or evil', with rare exception. ( I would cede that in some instances some are born with crossed wires, but not all of humanity, not by a long shot). And high among them, ones sexuality of itself does NOT make them 'sinful'.

[RedState]

Actually, we are already free to speak out against whoever we please in this country...so what's the big deal?

As long as this "speaking out" is not a direct call for violence or harm--or otherwise harassing behavior--I fail to see why people are upset by this.

But, I didn't read the entire article nor the proposal so I could be missing something.

[stupidIvan]

How frustrasting that they're putting this all in formal writing! Just another fine example of religious bigotry holding us all back... :::: (

[Mogget]

Originally Posted by RedState

Actually, we are already free to speak out against whoever we please in this country...so what's the big deal?

As long as this "speaking out" is not a direct call for violence or harm--or otherwise harassing behavior--I fail to see why people are upset by this.

But, I didn't read the entire article nor the proposal so I could be missing something.

There's a line between harassment and free speech, and it's drawn in different places under different circumstances. I am free to stand on a street corner and tell every woman with her shoulders uncovered that she is a Hell-bound harlot. If I did the same thing at work, I'd probably be fired, and rightly so. My actions would have created a hostile work environment.

Likewise, in school, there are a lot of ways to cause significant damage to a fellow student without advocating violence against them. It sounds as though this bill would permit students to continually rail against their gay classmates, tell them they're going to Hell, shun them, picket them, etc provided they did so from a religious standpoint. It would, in other words, permit harassment and the creation of a hostile environment. Schools have a legitimate interest in preventing this, just as places of work do, and should be fully entitled to ban such behavior.

[Random Dent]

Originally Posted by Alexandria

Ya know, I really get annoyed with the perpetuated myth that all people are 'sinners'; that 'all are born with sin'.

Bull****.

Its a myth, a flat out lie to make people feel guilty for no reason; as people who feel guilty are far easier to manipulate and trick to ignore good sense. No one is born as a sinful, evil person. Everyone is born with the equal potential to be good or evil. It is a combonation of environment, upbringing and surrounding factors that will make someone go 'good or evil', with rare exception. ( I would cede that in some instances some are born with crossed wires, but not all of humanity, not by a long shot). And high among them, ones sexuality of itself does NOT make them 'sinful'.

I cannot agree more.

These Anti-Christians make me sick to my stomach. Ignorance and bigotry should not be protected; they are a dangerous combination.

[scooby]

Originally Posted by Mogget

There's a line between harassment and free speech, and it's drawn in different places under different circumstances. I am free to stand on a street corner and tell every woman with her shoulders uncovered that she is a Hell-bound harlot. If I did the same thing at work, I'd probably be fired, and rightly so. My actions would have created a hostile work environment.

Likewise, in school, there are a lot of ways to cause significant damage to a fellow student without advocating violence against them. It sounds as though this bill would permit students to continually rail against their gay classmates, tell them they're going to Hell, shun them, picket them, etc provided they did so from a religious standpoint. It would, in other words, permit harassment and the creation of a hostile environment. Schools have a legitimate interest in preventing this, just as places of work do, and should be fully entitled to ban such behavior.

It's bizarre that the government education watchdogs - which would expel a student without question if said student brought a cereal-box-prize squirt gun to class - would allow something like this to pass without thinking "LAWSUIT ALERT!"

Here's an idea: Get someone to continually rail against women teachers in their school. Use the Bible verses that say "women shall not teach men" (it's in there) and watch parents and teachers unions all rush to squash this stupid law pretty darn quick.

[Logan]

This state DOES suck, but we can help put a stop to this.
SignOn.org Beta - Tennessee Bullying Bill Needs to be Stopped!