A number of stories recently have focused on gays in schools. What should be taught? And who should do the teaching? What role should students play (literally, in one case)? What are facts and what\u2019s theology, or worse, bigotry?<\/p>\n
The Washington Times steps back and looks at some of the larger issues, as the role of sex education in schools is debated by two of Washington\u2019s suburban counties, Fairfax, Va. and Montgomery, Md. I usually read the Times with a jaundice eye, my radar on for biased reporting. I\u2019m infrequently surprised. But today\u2019s story<\/a> raises at least one question I\u2019d like answered. What\u2019s so bad about inviting \u201cex-gays\u201d to speak to students about sexuality? My guess is gay activists, who are apparently invited into classrooms, would argue that there is no such thing as an \u201cex-gay.\u201d Acknowledging them may be perceived as buying into the contentious notion that sexual identity is a choice. But if someone, whether he or she by nature is a heterosexual, for a long time has had only homosexual relationships, might not the students benefit from hearing that perspective. I trust students enough to smell a heterosexual in \u201cex-gay\u201d clothing. All it is is another perspective. Let students weigh it, question it, and embrace or discard it as irrelevant to their own sexual examination.<\/p>\n Even \u201cdata about the overall health of gay men,\u201d which, if I\u2019m thinking of what homophobes see as \u201cdata,\u201d is bogus, why can\u2019t the schools present the information as well as evidence that the data is indeed, untruthful propaganda?<\/p>\n Sometimes the best offense is to allow the opposition to throw its best punches. When they miss their mark, their agenda hits the mat.<\/p>\n That may have been the case in the fight over a student written play in Loudoun County. Many politicians couldn\u2019t resist making an issue<\/a> out of two male students faking a kiss and a line in the play directed to the audience: \u201cAm I a little too much like you for your own comfort? Do you hate me because you see a little of me hiding in you?\u201d<\/p>\n School Board member Joseph Guzman (Sugarland Run) offered the strongest denunciation of the play. He began by offering homage to the idea of \u201ctolerance,\u201d calling it a \u201cworthy idea,\u201d but he said the play showcased \u201csexual behavior that is designed to provoke.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThere is absolutely no place for this in our schools,\u201d he said. \u201cI am disappointed that this was allowed to occur in our district … Imposing immorality seems to be encouraged.\u201d <\/p>\n He added that this \u201ckind of thing\u201d caused many parents to pull their children from public school and place them in private or home school situations. <\/p>\n At-Large School Board member Tom Reed called homosexuality a \u201cperversion,\u201d but he conceded that other controversial works have been a part of the school curriculum for generations. He cited such works as the Greek play Oedipus Rex, which deals with incest and Shakespeare, whose plays cover a variety of controversial topics. Reed conceded that Person would not want certain books of the Bible to be portrayed on stage. <\/p>\n \u201cLove the sinner, hate the sin,\u201d Reed concluded. \u201cI support diversity, but it does not mean encouraging, or even tolerating, perversity.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Tolerance is a dirty word to many of the radical right. And if they are granted the right to determine what is perversity, then many heterosexuals are in trouble. Maybe the school will soon be teaching what causes hair to grow on the palms of your hands.<\/p>\n Again, though, it may be best if you let the radical right speak out, as Del. Dick Black (R-Sterling) [Disclosure<\/a>] did in an email he sent out when he learned of — but did not see — the play.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started getting a flood of calls from people who were very distraught about what had taken place at the school play,\u201d said Black. \u201cThe taxpayers pay for our schools and the taxpayers do not want homoerotic sex acts to take place on the stages of our school plays.\u201d <\/p>\n In a press release, Black mocked the assertion in January\u2019s SBHS newsletter promoting Postcards as a \u201cshow you won\u2019t want to miss.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cNeedless to say, I was upset to find out that the show our children were not supposed to miss was one where two male students engaged in a homosexual kiss onstage and then addressed the audience saying, \u2018You can\u2019t tell me that there isn\u2019t a little bit of me in every one of you,\u2019\u201d stated a press release from Black\u2019s office. <\/p>\n \u201cThe idea that our public school system is being used to promote a homosexual lifestyle is disturbing,\u201d Black said. \u201cWhen Christ\u2019s name is banned in schools, and bricks with crosses on them are removed from Potomac Falls High School until a lawsuit forces them to be put back, it makes me feel that a double standard is being placed against people of faith. We are continuously lectured on the idea that we need to keep God out of the classroom. Am I now to believe that the reason we need to keep God out is so that homosexual teachings can have free reign?\u201d Black\u2019s release added. <\/p>\n \u2026 \u201cThis was an attempt at shock value, and by addressing the audience in this manner, it crosses the line of discussion into advocacy. Parents were not only offended at the shock value of this kiss, but also for the fact that it was implied that everyone in the audience was secretly hiding homosexual feelings,\u201d Staton wrote. \u201cWhat also disturbs me is that this play was obviously approved by the faculty at Stone Bridge, which makes me question what other kinds of practices are being condoned in our public schools.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The email promoted a response from the school board chairman, according to Loudoun Today.<\/p>\n The school board chairman saved his strongest criticism for Del. Dick Black (R-32), without mentioning him by name but reading from the e-mail Black sent that helped to fuel the controversy with its mass mailing to constituents telling them to voice their opposition of the play at Tuesday\u2019s school board meeting. Andrews was blindsided further by an \u201caction alert\u201d about the play that originated from the church he attends regularly. <\/p>\n [Chairman John] Andrews said he came back from a four-day vacation to find 56 e mails and 20 voice mails on his phone at work because Black\u2019s e-mail listed Andrews\u2019 work number. Andrews also noted he is one of Black\u2019s largest financial backers. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n When one of your big money men are turning against you, you may have overstepped. Again, let them throw their best punches, perhaps, as in many a cartoon, a roundhouse that misses its target and lands on your own cheek.<\/p>\n A Fairfax County school board member, who last month criticized Fairfax schools<\/a> because he wanted students to hear \u201cthe other side\u201d was forced to issue an apology<\/a> and suffer a rebuke<\/a> from the School Board. <\/p>\n Dialogue is not going to change the minds of bigots and religious zealots that think only they have the right interpretations of the bible. Even groups, like student gay-straight alliances, which are formed to help each learn to tolerate one another, are under attack<\/a> in the Virginia House (HB 2868<\/a>; the language is vague enough that the bill passed unanimously, so maybe it\u2019s no harm, no foul).<\/p>\n But there are many mainstream conservatives and moderate liberals who are uneasy about homosexuality. They will tolerate gays and expect them to be accorded basic freedoms and protection from discrimination. But what is promoting a lifestyle versus learning the facts? <\/p>\n Marriage is another issue for them. Can we truly be tolerant and protective if we deny gays the right to commit in public their life-long commitment to each other, which after all is what marriage is all about? It\u2019s not an easy answer for some, be they Republicans or Democrats. More dialogue is fine. Somehow I don\u2019t think the Dick Blacks of the world want that.<\/p>\n Conservatives have often appealed to moderate Democrats to speak out on issues. I challenge moderate conservatives to do the same on same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A number of stories recently have focused on gays in schools. What should be taught? And who should do the teaching? What role should students play (literally, in one case)? What are facts and what\u2019s theology, or worse, bigotry? The Washington Times steps back and looks at some of the larger issues, as the role… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}