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sparkindarknessI have recently said how vulnerable GBLT youth is. Without a strong, understanding support network, our kids grow up often very much alone and with very few connections to the GBLT community, its allies or anyone else who would support them.
Worse, they are surrounded by a world that demonises in a near constant bombardment. This is not only harmful - it’s soul destroying. Yet time and again people fight tooth and nail against even the slightest movement to try and stem to the tide, to try and save so much pain.
In Tennesee there are two bills currently being considered to ban any mention in schools of “alternate” sexualities thankfully they seem to be in for an uncertain future - but they are dangerous things. Like Section 28, these laws prevent GBLT youth seeing anything like themselves in school, prevent them seeing anything POSITIVE about people like them.
A bill was introduced in South Carolina by Rep Janet Brady to protect teens from violence on dates. It looked very sensible - and then Rep Greg Delleny decided to spill bigotry all over it and specify that it only apply to HETEROSEUXAL dates - because gods forbid they mention homosexuality in schools!
A dailykos/research 2000 poll on Republican attitudes found a staggering 73% said gay people shouldn’t be allowed to be teachers I dearly hope that statistic is wrong.
A child in Ohio was humiliated and bullied by his teachers for having long hair. So rigidly are gender roles enforced that any child steeping outside of them can face this level of harassment from their teacher!
Rep Jared Polis in the US congress has introduced The Student Non-Discrimination Act that will protect LGBT youth from discrimination in schools. It’s shocking that this doesn’t exist already and terrible that it is needed - but LGBLT youth are frequently not only the target of vicious bullying, exacerbated by the closet - but can also face homophobic and unsympathetic teachers who not only won’t protect them - but will add to the persecution.
An ex-gay group is passing out fliers in schools in DC and the teachers claim they can’t stop it. Hateful propaganda is being passed to these kids - to allow hate groups to proselytise in schools is ridiculous - to allow ignorant, disproven , damaging fools to pass out their “knowledge” in schools is antithetical to all that school stands for
A school Tulsa, Oklahoma has resisted demands that they ban a gay friendly book that contained a *gasp* same-sex couple that parents tried to have banned. Is mere depiction of our couples really that dangerous? Is it so important that children be raised in ignorance of relationships that actually exist? Why should any school support ignorance? But worse than that - actions like these work to ensure that GBLT children will never ever see people like themselves, lives they can live
Students at John Carrol university are resorting to demonstrations after GBLT anti-discrimination clauses were denied. Why? Why do we have to ask for this for our young people? Why do our youth have to fight and demand to be treated equally? Why isn’t it a given?
At another university - Notre Dame, infamous already for that awful cartoon - they decided to throw out any claims of academia and invite and ex-gay proponent as a speaker. Extra fun? She’s going to be part of a panel on what makes an “authentic man or woman”. Oh yeah - this is going to be REALLY healthy for the GBLT kids on campus, don’t you think? And, just in case it needs to be said, Notre Dame has no policy against discriminating against GBLT folks either.
We need education. We need kids to understand that we exist and we deserve to exist. We need our kids to understand that they have value - they have worth, they have a place in this world and they have every right to that place with safety, security and dignity.
One step forwards is the new DVD being produced by Stonewall to combat anti-GBLT bullying. The statistics are frightening - 41% of gay students beaten up last year. 90% of teachers hearing anti-gay taunts. 75% of young gays in faith schools have faced homophobic abuse. Teachers have little training in homophobia - but hopefully this DVD (and a new government scheme requiring bullying incidents to be recorded) may help stop turning school into a destructive torture for our youth.
One unfortunate solution in LA is to open a school/hone study programme for GBLT youth has it come to this that our children cannot even go to school because of the fear? But when the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network reports that a horrific 86% of GBLT students reported harassment and 3 fifths of GBLT students had skipped school because they felt unsafe... something has to be done.
Our kids need to learn - and society will already teach them hate. We need to counter that. For the sake of our children.
Worse, they are surrounded by a world that demonises in a near constant bombardment. This is not only harmful - it’s soul destroying. Yet time and again people fight tooth and nail against even the slightest movement to try and stem to the tide, to try and save so much pain.
In Tennesee there are two bills currently being considered to ban any mention in schools of “alternate” sexualities thankfully they seem to be in for an uncertain future - but they are dangerous things. Like Section 28, these laws prevent GBLT youth seeing anything like themselves in school, prevent them seeing anything POSITIVE about people like them.
A bill was introduced in South Carolina by Rep Janet Brady to protect teens from violence on dates. It looked very sensible - and then Rep Greg Delleny decided to spill bigotry all over it and specify that it only apply to HETEROSEUXAL dates - because gods forbid they mention homosexuality in schools!
A dailykos/research 2000 poll on Republican attitudes found a staggering 73% said gay people shouldn’t be allowed to be teachers I dearly hope that statistic is wrong.
A child in Ohio was humiliated and bullied by his teachers for having long hair. So rigidly are gender roles enforced that any child steeping outside of them can face this level of harassment from their teacher!
Rep Jared Polis in the US congress has introduced The Student Non-Discrimination Act that will protect LGBT youth from discrimination in schools. It’s shocking that this doesn’t exist already and terrible that it is needed - but LGBLT youth are frequently not only the target of vicious bullying, exacerbated by the closet - but can also face homophobic and unsympathetic teachers who not only won’t protect them - but will add to the persecution.
An ex-gay group is passing out fliers in schools in DC and the teachers claim they can’t stop it. Hateful propaganda is being passed to these kids - to allow hate groups to proselytise in schools is ridiculous - to allow ignorant, disproven , damaging fools to pass out their “knowledge” in schools is antithetical to all that school stands for
A school Tulsa, Oklahoma has resisted demands that they ban a gay friendly book that contained a *gasp* same-sex couple that parents tried to have banned. Is mere depiction of our couples really that dangerous? Is it so important that children be raised in ignorance of relationships that actually exist? Why should any school support ignorance? But worse than that - actions like these work to ensure that GBLT children will never ever see people like themselves, lives they can live
Students at John Carrol university are resorting to demonstrations after GBLT anti-discrimination clauses were denied. Why? Why do we have to ask for this for our young people? Why do our youth have to fight and demand to be treated equally? Why isn’t it a given?
At another university - Notre Dame, infamous already for that awful cartoon - they decided to throw out any claims of academia and invite and ex-gay proponent as a speaker. Extra fun? She’s going to be part of a panel on what makes an “authentic man or woman”. Oh yeah - this is going to be REALLY healthy for the GBLT kids on campus, don’t you think? And, just in case it needs to be said, Notre Dame has no policy against discriminating against GBLT folks either.
We need education. We need kids to understand that we exist and we deserve to exist. We need our kids to understand that they have value - they have worth, they have a place in this world and they have every right to that place with safety, security and dignity.
One step forwards is the new DVD being produced by Stonewall to combat anti-GBLT bullying. The statistics are frightening - 41% of gay students beaten up last year. 90% of teachers hearing anti-gay taunts. 75% of young gays in faith schools have faced homophobic abuse. Teachers have little training in homophobia - but hopefully this DVD (and a new government scheme requiring bullying incidents to be recorded) may help stop turning school into a destructive torture for our youth.
One unfortunate solution in LA is to open a school/hone study programme for GBLT youth has it come to this that our children cannot even go to school because of the fear? But when the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network reports that a horrific 86% of GBLT students reported harassment and 3 fifths of GBLT students had skipped school because they felt unsafe... something has to be done.
Our kids need to learn - and society will already teach them hate. We need to counter that. For the sake of our children.