Posted on 03/22/2006 3:10:24 PM PST by Indy Pendance
Amid controversy over a homosexual speaker, a high school in Wisconsin has canceled its "Diversity Day" event scheduled for tomorrow.
Speakers at Viroqua High School in Viroqua, Wisc., for the biannual event were to include Hmong, Jewish, Muslim, American Indian, African American, Latino, Buddhist, physically handicapped and poor people, the La Crosse Tribune reported.
The paper said, however, the event was called off late last week after the Florida-based public-interest legal group Liberty Counsel raised a potential challenge, insisting the program include the viewpoint of a former homosexual.
The last event, in 2004, initially was canceled by the school board after 400 people signed a petition protesting the inclusion of speakers on homosexual and transgender issues. The event was reinstated in the spring, however, when elections changed the board's membership.
This time, a fax from Liberty Counsel stated local pastor Don Greven of Bad Axe Lutheran Church and the grandfather of a senior at the high school raised concerns about no Christian, or formerly homosexual, viewpoint being included among the speakers, the Tribune reported.
Liberty Counsel argued a federal court in Michigan had ruled a similar exclusion unconstitutional.
"By excluding the Christian and ex-gay viewpoints, the (Viroqua) District violates the Establishment Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of equal protection," the group said.
Greven, 61, told the paper diversity means, "in our understanding, that the various views are presented, and that was lacking."
Gregg Attleson, a teacher on the Diversity Day planning committee, told the LaCrosse paper the intent is to introduce students to minorities and people with alternative lifestyles.
"Our students are not going to be living their lives out in Viroqua," said Attleson. "They'll be out and about in the world – in jobs, in the military, in the university – and they're going to come into contact with people of different backgrounds. And we feel it would be real helpful for them in a nice safe place, like a high school, to have contact and be able to dispel some of the stereotypes."
Attleson said the homosexual couple scheduled to speak refused to be on the program alongside an "ex-gay" viewpoint, saying they would be uncomfortable.
The committee then decided it would be best to cancel the whole program.
The agenda was to feature two keynote speakers, a movie and small-group discussions with three of the 10 speakers.
Attleson said students were free to choose which small groups to attend and could opt out of the program if parents contacted the school in advance.
"Non-positive groups were not what we were going for," said committee member Ellen Byers in response to the decision to cancel.
The homosexual couple's appearance was not about "proselytizing" or alienating people, she said. The planners wanted to help resolve misunderstandings about the issue because the school has homosexuals among its student body.
"It's ironic, because we're trying to be tolerant and at the same time we might be accused of being intolerant, said Byers, an English teacher.
LOL well as we ALL know, the Constitution guarantees us the right to never be offended, and never be made to feel uncomfortable, EVER!
That is the leftist view, whether they know it to be true or not. It's all about the mantra. Say it loud, say it often.
I have to agree that cancelling the program was pretty ridiculous. I don't usually make a big deal of being gay (or even mention it to anyone not interested), but I have to say that if your objective is to promote diversity, it's silly to exclude someone just on the basis of their (current or former) sexual orientation. And any gay person who is "uncomfortable" being around an ex-gay needs to grow up and face the fact that not everyone who thinks they're gay is going to be happy with that fact and may, indeed, want to change.
"Non-positive groups were not what we were going for," said committee member Ellen Byers in response to the decision to cancel.
_______________________________________________________
"Non positive" -- only a lunatic liberal could come up with that Orwellian lingo.
This case presents the ironic, and unfortunate, paradox of a public high school celebrating “diversity” by refusing to permit the presentation to students of an “unwelcomed” viewpoint on the topic of homosexuality and religion, while actively promoting the competing view. This practice of “one-way diversity,” unsettling in itself, was rendered still more troubling -- both constitutionally and ethically -- by the fact that the approved viewpoint was, in one manifestation, presented to students as religious doctrine by six clerics (some in full garb) quoting from religious scripture. In its other manifestation, it resulted in the censorship by school administrators of a student’s speech about “what diversity means to me,” removing that portion of the speech in which the student described the unapproved viewpoint.
All of this, of course, raises the question, among others presented here, of what “diversity” means and whether a school may promote one view of “diversity” over another.
School Cancels Diversity Day Rather than Include Viewpoint of Christians and Former Homosexuals
Posted by dukeman
On 03/22/2006 2:28:00 PM CST · 67 replies · 1,680+ views
SO true.
a high school in Wisconsin
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What about the First Amendment Rights of the parents and students NOT to assemble in any school that would propose this drivel?
Government schools trash the First Amendment Right to free assembly every day, in every school in America.
They are an abomination!
Orwellian is right. Black is white, up is down, right is wrong. You must tolerate us but, we don't have to tolerate you.
Attleson said the homosexual couple scheduled to speak refused to be on the program alongside an "ex-gay" viewpoint, saying they would be uncomfortable.....translation: "We might wet our fag panties."
OMG...and the Christian students who would be "uncomfortable" having to listen to homosexual people don't count! These people are INSANE.
"It's ironic, because we're trying to be tolerant and at the same time we might be accused of being intolerant, said Byers, an English teacher."
Ya think?
Everyone is equal...but some are more equal than others.
"Our students are not going to be living their lives out in Viroqua," said Attleson. "They'll be out and about in the world – in jobs, in the military, in the university –"
What if it's in a church? Oh I forgot it's illegal to be a priest in a blue state (unless you're a "minority").
"The planners wanted to help resolve misunderstandings about the issue because the school has homosexuals among its student body."
Possible misunderstandings:
1) The speakers actually believe in equality.
2) They believe in equality other than just when it's in their favor.
3) They're not prejudice.
4) They are tolerant of people who disagree with them.
If anyone else has anything to add to the list, post it.
"Non-positive groups were not what we were going for..."
Oh I get it! They must mean non HIV positive!
The irony and hippocracy is giving me a headache...
Hey! Welcome aboard, good to see young adults here!
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