IL Teacher Suspended For Assigning Article On Homosexuality In Animals

[Ian David]

IL Teacher Suspended For Assigning Article On Homosexuality In Animals

Bigotry is not a natural instinct, it is taught. Homosexuality is as natural as the sun in the sky, but ignorant, hateful people will never accept that fact. The suspension of this high school teacher in Piasa, Illinois is a perfect example of how this hatred and ignorance infests the minds of our children:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/gender-and-schooling/200910/high-school-teacher-suspended-after-assigning-article-homosexuality

Yesterday, Mr. Delong, a 10th and 12th grade Honors English teacher in Piasa, IL was suspended for assigning an article about homosexuality in the animal kingdom to his students. Should teachers ask their students to read about controversial topics? Should we allow parents veto power over the curriculum

Mr. Delong is reportedly a married, heterosexual teacher who identifies as an ally of the GLBTQ community and clearly has the respect and admiration of his students. This is just one of many examples of how teachers are taught to be conservative and non-controversial and why GLBTQ youth don't feel safe in schools. If a school district considers teaching with a scientific article written by a professor at Stanford University and published in a popular science magazine as controversial and worthy of suspension - then how can we convince other educators to stand up and teach critically? In order to help students learn to become critical thinkers and active citizens in a participatory democracy, it is essential to have teachers encourage students to question normative thinking and learn to critically evaluate information for themselves -- particulary with respect to sex, gender, and sexuality.

I applaud Mr. Delong for attempting to teach his students the art of critical thinking and to open their minds to facts. There is a Facebook page supporting Mr. Delong, stop by and show your support if you like.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=163432612279&ref=mf

More:
http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/il-teacher-suspended-assigning-articl



See prior threads:

Re-Post Round-up: Past DU Threads on the issue of Born Gay vs Choice, Natural vs Un-Natural
Topic started by IanDB1 on Feb-23-08 07:27 PM (0 replies)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=221&topic_id=65770

Millions of tax dollars spent on cruel experiments to "cure" gay sheep
Topic started by IanDB1 on Nov-18-06 07:33 PM (34 replies)
Last modified by Crim_n al on Nov-23-06 10:25 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=221&topic_id=44817

[saltpoint]

1. Here's the problem with the assignment and also why this teacher should

be fired, then tortured, then imprisoned for life.

If high school kids were to read an assignment like that it would establish a context in which homosexual behavior in the real world is natural and acceptable, and because everyone knows high schools are the most innocent, pure-as-the-driven-snow angels imaginable, the very notion of same-sex conduct would turn a lot of them gay, especially if they already drink Pepsi-Cola.

Because I heard drinking Pepsi can make people gay. It was on a website somewhere.

Anyway, so this article is essentially an ethically lethal guided missile into the God-imbued traditional family households of this great country, like Mark Sanford's, for example. No Pepsi in that family, nosireebob. Plenty of frequent flyer miles, though.

[mnhtnbb]

2. Damn those animals anyway. Don't they know they're supposed

to only have sex for procreation and only after they've been married?

:sarcasm:

[Ian David]

3. My Hebrew School teacher said the reason god also killed the animals in Noah's flood...

... was because the animals were doing "unnatural things."

I didn't know what he meant at the time, and he refused to elaborate.

[Ian David]

4. Related thread: The effeminate sheep and other problems with Darwinian sexual selection.

The effeminate sheep and other problems with Darwinian sexual selection.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=149052&mesg_id=149052

[litlady]

5. Reality that doesn't match right-wing worldview is offensive.

BTW, Biological Exuberance is an interesting look at this topic (homosexuality in animal kingdom).

http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Natural-Diversity/dp/0312192398