Posted on 02/08/2002 3:05:41 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's largest teachers union will ask school districts to protect homosexual students and staff by adopting policies that punish harassment and discrimination.
Under a plan adopted Friday by the National Education Association's board of directors, schools also will be encouraged to develop factual materials for classroom discussions on homosexuality. All staff and students will be encouraged to speak up when they see or experience discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"I think it's a pretty clear signal that the organization recognizes there are some pretty serious needs for gay and lesbian children in school - and employees," said Penny Kotterman, president of the Arizona Education Association. She chairs the NEA's Task Force on Sexual Orientation, which was created last fall to develop the plan.
Kotterman, a middle school special education teacher in the Kyrene School District in suburban Phoenix, said the plan will help schools with difficult issues of student sexuality.
"Staff do need help," she said. "They need professional development, they need good, factual data that helps them deal with these issues."
The union said it could provide "accurate, objective and up-to-date information" on the needs and problems of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students and staff.
A statement by the NEA said the information schools provide should be age-appropriate, nonjudgmental and relevant to subject matter being studied.
Studies indicate that homosexual students have higher dropout and suicide rates and sometimes are treated with hostility by fellow students. NEA President Bob Chase has said gay and lesbian teachers in some states face losing their jobs because of their sexual orientation.
"It is clear that, in too many places, students and education employees who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered face a hostile environment," Chase said Friday in the statement.
A study last year by the University of North Carolina estimated that 5 percent to 6 percent of students 17 or younger, or more than 2 million students, are gay, lesbian or bisexual.
The NEA represents 2.6 million teachers and other school employees.
I think that's half the point. Children should learn to treat ALL PEOPLE with respect. No group should be singled out as needing 'special' respect.
They have equal rights already under the constitution. They have the right not to be murdered. Not to be raped. Not to be robbed, etc. Anything else would be infringing on my rights of freedom of speech. I have a right to say what I want, believe what I want, and like or dislike whom I choose. I have a right to hire and fire people I like and don't like. Intolerance is constitutional. Sorry you don't like it, but it is.
BTW, I don't hate gay people. I don't see one single person on this thread advocating violence towards a homosexual. I see parents who don't think this is appropriate educational material at a school.
You are exactly right. It does not justify violence. However, where are you going to draw the line on what's 'ill' treatment? If I looked crossed eyed at a gay student, would I be allowed to graduate, without passing a tolerance test? Would I be expelled if I said, "I think homosexuality is wrong."? People DO have a right to be safe, and those rights & laws are already on the books. If I beat up someone because they are gay, I'm wrong. Actually if I beat up anyone, I'm wrong.
If you tell me I can't say "I don't like them" you are wrong. I have a constitutional right to say it. That's what you want done isn't it? You don't want children and their parents to be able to say something or believe something.
No, I don't think so. I can't speak for everyone on this thread, but I would certainly never encourage or teach my children to be unkind to anyone. Stand up for what you believe in, but don't be hateful about it. See.....this is my point.....where is the line on what's hateful? Because my children are taught homosexuality is wrong, some would consider this to be "hate" speech. It's not! That's what I saw on this thread. I see people say they don't like them, and that's protected speech. You may not like the things they have to say, but it is protected.
This is why this is so dangerous. You can't force someone to treat someone with respect, at least with their mouth. You can force them to obey laws of civilized behavior, being we don't hit people or kill them because we don't like them. But you can't force someone to "like" gay people or treat them with respect. That would be unconstitutional.
The term "thought police" comes to mind here.
Do you stand in favor of parents teaching this tolerance or do you want the government to do it? The government can not come into my home and tell me what to teach my children.
Actually, I don't like the word tolerance. I don't have to tolerate anything frankly. I teach this to my children. Be kind to people BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS!!!!! Not because they are gay, straight, black, white, brown whatever! But I also tell them "evil companions corrupt good morals". It all balances out.
Well, for the record, I'm Chinese. I was racially harassed at school, day in, day out, for years. I was called Jap, Chink, Flip, among other epithets. I was threatened with violence. Did the school help? No! Racism was and is illegal, but that didn't stop harassment from happening.
While this socialization experiment was not pleasant, indeed hostile, I survived the experience and managed to get a decent education. It made me a better person because I treat people the way I want to be treated. I would never treat anyone in such a shameful way.
The NEA was no help then, and I think these policies will only make matters worse. It is the unpleasant experiences that toughen us up to deal with life. Let's face it, life is not utopia for anybody. This is called living in the School of Hard Knocks.
Schools would be better off just teaching the Golden Rule and leaving it at that.
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