California Lawmakers Care More About Gay Awareness Than the Three R’s

on April 8, 2011 at 9:55 PM

Jenny EriksonCalifornia State Senator Mark Leno has introduced a bill in the legislature that would make it mandatory for public school teachers in that state to teach their students about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful Education Act, or SB48, on Tuesday, and supporters say it will help prevent bullying of gay students by their classmates.

Bullied straight students are apparently S.O.L.

Seriously, what is wrong with disciplining kids for bullying for any reason? Are we now going to distinguish between regular bullying and hate bullying? Oh wait, it seems that teachers aren’t always allowed to discipline their students for bad behavior. Just ask Professor Frank Rybicki of Valdosta State University, who was arrested for battery after closing a student’s laptop when she refused to stop web surfing during class.

Aside from teachers not having authority in their classrooms anymore, who cares what Socrates’ sexual preference was? He pioneered the most ingenious method of teaching ever, aptly titled today the Socratic method. There’s no evidence of Susan B. Anthony’s sexual status, but how would that change what she did for female suffrage in America? There are very few instances, if any, where someone’s lifestyle choice has a lot to do with their historical contributions.

Aside from the fact that most people’s contributions to society have nothing to do with whom they played with in the bedroom, this is just a poor use of our education funds. California schools are not excelling, and there are so many ways to better spend the limited amount of money we have than reprinting all the textbooks to include the sexual preferences of our heroes in history.

Wouldn’t keeping teachers like Miguel Aguilar employed be a better expenditure of taxpayer money? Miguel is an awesome teacher in the Los Angeles County school district, but he might be losing his job because he lacks the seniority of other (less effective) teachers. In the education system, it’s time on the job, not quality of work that leads to job security,

It’s no secret that our schools are failing the next generation of Americans. Rewriting the textbooks to include the sexual preferences of historical figures hardly seems to be the way to fix it.

Filed Under: discrimination, human rights, politics

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Comments (28)

butterflymkm

on Apr 8, 2011 at 10:47 PM

I was under the impression that part of school is to teach kids about life. Most kids aren't going to use trig in the real world. They will; however, need to learn how to relate to and understand different people. This is no different to me than teaching kids about other cultures, races, and religions. Those ideas have been a part of academia for ever.

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HistoryMamaX3

on Apr 8, 2011 at 11:45 PM

Butterfly... your response is a HUGE part of our problem today. Parents and family and society are supposed to teach children about life- school is supposed to teach stuff like *gasp* trigonometry! If parents were doing their jobs, schools could actually do theirs.

Nonmember comment from Anon

on Apr 9, 2011 at 12:07 AM

All kids need to hear from teachers about LGBT is that they must demonstrate respect for themselves and others. It is ridiculous to list which kinds of people we are supposed to be respecting, as if other people were not deserving of respect. First, resources should not be wasted on that. Second, a GLBT discussion is not age-appropriate for most of the target audience. Third, once people get used to GLBT in the curriculum, what will be next? Bestiality, pedophilia, incest, and polygamy? Fourth, the one thing you'll never hear public schools requiring respect for is Christianity. Seems a bit off-balance to me.

on Apr 9, 2011 at 12:30 AM

Again, don't we have school discussions about historical societal differences? Shouldn't we? They did when I was in school. Learning about other people is part of learning. It's part if psychology and history and sociology and debate and science and statistics. Sounds school worthy to me.

Nonmember comment from Zizzler

on Apr 9, 2011 at 12:46 AM

Considering that lgbt matters are in the spotlight these days, I think this is a worthy subject. I'd like to live in a world where parents teach their kids about culture, sex, minorities etc, but that often doesn't happen (example, my school did not teach sex ed and my parents never said a word about it to me. I was 20 before I ever even saw a condom in real life, and yet I was only 12 the first time I saw some of my friends having sex on the playground). It's also something to consider that parents may be teaching their kids hateful things, and while that's their choice, I think schools would be noble to offer another view on things, perhaps a more compassionate and tolerant one.

cmarie452

on Apr 9, 2011 at 12:55 AM

We teach kids to be tolerant of fat people, African Americans, Muslims, women, men, people with disabilities (unless it's a nut allergy) so why is it so controversial to teach them about tolerance for LGBT people. Straight kids don't get bullied for being straight, gay kids get bullied for being gay. And Anon, I'm so tired of the straw man argument that tolerance of gays leads to bestiality and pedophilia. The difference is that what I do in my bedroom with my consenting adult of a partner doesn't hurt anyone except maybe your brain. I'm also tired of the if you're going to teach about gays teach about Christianity. It's not the school's job to teach religion, it's there job to teach knowledge and tolerance of different people. It's called separation of church and state, it's not just pretty words, it's the law.

on Apr 9, 2011 at 1:10 AM

omarie, I'm not sure what public schools are there for any more. I do know that what we need to do is teach our kids to be competent, productive workers and law-abiding citizens. I don't see how knowing about anal sex and who has it furthers either of those goals (or any other worthwhile goal). BTW, I wasn't saying gays have anything to do with bestiality. I was saying that if we have to do a rah-rah about one "alternative" life style, then other alternative lifestyle-followers will start demanding equal time. Where do you draw the line? Bottom line, it's not necessary in schools. It's not as if schools are a kid's only, or best, source of information about social matters.

Jo41

on Apr 9, 2011 at 2:09 AM

I completely agree with this post. Bullying is bullying. It should not focus on race, gender, or sexual preference. No one deserves to be mistreated- gay or straight. Why specify which genders have more rights to being a victim???

phyrball2

on Apr 9, 2011 at 2:24 AM

Yeah, I'm taking my kids out of Cali as soon as I can. The school's job is to teach them English, Math Science, etc. My job is to teach them respect for other people and how to behave socially. Ican't believe, with all the problems in the CA school system, THIS is what they choose to focus on.

mom.mom.MOM

on Apr 9, 2011 at 2:58 AM

in a perfect world parents would teach their children to give the respect they want to recieve but in reality we have no offense bible thumpers that stand in judgement and in the same breathe we expect our kids to act differently they learn what they live and bottom line is we all need to respect gay community more and stop being gay pride ribbon judgemental and be realistic we all have feelings,families ,we all are human . just asking everybody too be humane why is that so hard ? marriage is not just for straight people were all people that need to be loved .