Teachers Balk At Gay Inclusion Campaign

[TechBear_Seattle]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/012506calSchool.htm


From the article:

San Leandro, California) A group of teachers at a high school in the East Bay are refusing to put up posters promoting LGBT diversity.

...

Last December the district board of education approved a policy requiring teachers to hang the posters in their classrooms. The district at the time also reminded teachers that they have an obligation to stop LGBT^ students from being bullied.

Five teachers at San Leandro High School have informed Principal Amy Furtado that the posters violate their religious beliefs.

The posters were designed by the school's Gay-Straight Alliance and show a rainbow flag and bear the words "This is a safe place to be who you are."

So let me see if I understand: It is a violation of these teachers' religious freedom to promote "a safe place to be who you are" if the "you" is GLBT students. The implication being, of course, that it is a religious right for teachers to make it an unsafe place for GLBT students.

I have to wonder what would be the outcry if the poster were aimed at Black students, or Jewish students, or female students.

[bluestateguy]

1. Their claim is not convincing

If they were asked ot put up a poster that conveyed a religious message that was contrary to their beliefs (the 10 commandments, "God is Great" , etc.), then they would have a valid claim.

The poster conveys a secular message, so their religious beliefs in this case are not relevant.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. First, I think the poster idea is lame

BUT apart from that

what about them is overtly gay? The rainbow flag? Please!

Any school should be a safe place to be who you are.

[xchrom]

3. the lgbtqq community pays taxes that go to these

teachers salaries -- along with every one else.

these are ''our'' schools too.

if these teachers want to balk at inclusion and anti-bullying messages -- then they should go and get different jobs.

on a side note:
this is california -- and while there is a good possibility that there aren't many children sitting in any given classroom that identify as gay -- there are plenty of children being raised in households where the parents are same sex partners.

especially here in the bay area.
that makes the action of these teachers unconscionable.

[HuffleClaw]

4. they should be punished

and their action only serves to tell student such intolerance is acceptable, not the act of responsible teachers. what OTHER bigotry do they harbor i wonder? would they refuse to put up a poster about multi-faith education? black history month?

[closeupready]

5. I agree.

And if later a gay student is attacked, this type of thing makes them somewhat liable in terms of declining to defuse a hostile environment, doesn't it?

[Meldread]

6. Just fire them.

The claim is simple enough, they are unwilling to make efforts to make the school safe for the entire student body. They are also discriminating against a group of students.

That is grounds for being fired and if it isn't then it sure as hell should be. It's a public school, not a Christian Academy for Bigots.