Camp Counselor Fired After Discussing Lesbianism

[begin_within]

SAN DIEGO -- District officials from Alpine Union School District fired a 22-year-old camp counselor after it was discovered that she discussed her lesbian experiences with about 60 sixth-grade girls, 10News reported. While some parents say that's enough, others are thinking twice about sending their kids to camp.

District administrators confirmed that at a sixth-grade camp last month, some of the students were using the word lesbian in a derogatory way. Officials said the camp counselor who talked to them about it, went too far.

The counselor discussed her lesbian experiences with about 60 sixth-grade girls.

Story:

http://www.10news.com/news/4248431/detail.html

[noamnety]

1. gay bashing = appropriate

letting kids know that gays are normal everyday people = shockingly inappropriate!

I'm sure the parents would have had no complaints if the counselor had joined in with the derogatory remarks.

[foreigncorrespondent]

2. This story...

...just really manages to piss me off on so many levels.

1) Why the hell arethey making it sound like she talked to the girls about her sexual encounters? Using the term "lesbian experiences" makes it sound far too close to sexual experience for my liking.

2) The girls were using the word "lesbian" in a derogatory way, they should be held accountable for that.

I remember when my niece began using the term gay in derogatory ways I called her up for it immediately.

Also recently when I was working, some young teenagers walked into the store I was working at, and began using the term gay in a derogatory way, so I simply told them to leave the store because the store I work at is an equal opportunity employer, and as such there are a lot of gay and lesbian staff members, who do not need to hear that while working.

[xchrom]

3. sigh -- but of course

they can trash -- but let them be educated through someone's life history and there will be hell to pay.

[davidinalameda]

4. it's not cool to talk to 6th graders about your sex life

how else can you define "lesbian encounters"

[Misunderestimator]

10. "Experiences" was the word used, not "encounters"

No one was talking about a sex life... see how that trick the writer used worked on you? To have you read "encounters" and assume it to be a sexual discussion, instead of what it actually said... "experiences."

[readmoreoften]

5. interesting. her 'lesbian experiences.'

Why assume she told them about lesbian sex or her sex life? Maybe she told them that she was beaten up in high school so severely that she had to be hospitalized simply because she was in love with another girl. That is also a 'lesbian experience.'

[Maat]

6. Well, this is kind of what went through my mind.

This retired social worker wondered.

Would I mind if a counselor discussed being a lesbian, or from a loving family where the parents were same-sex, or discrimination? Heck no!

That having been said, as to discussing one's own personal sexual experiences, I would have to ask, "How old are the girls?" Put it into context for me.

If my kid was an older teenager, it would be one thing. If she was six, it would be another.

I'd like more information here.

On edit:
Well, they were six-graders. What, about 12-13? A little young for something too intense perhaps. But certainly old enough to discuss discrimination, equal protection, commitment, normal life stages, etc.

[readmoreoften]

7. But where does it say she discussed sex?

It doesn't say she discussed sex, it says she talked about her experience as a lesbian after the girls were making fun of lesbians. Would she segue naturally into sex after that? Maybe she was just saying 'listen i'm a lesbian. i have a girlfriend. i've always been a lesbian. i was beaten up when i was a girl your age. don't make fun of people like me.' that's enough to piss the majority of americans off....

[Maat]

13. Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

I bet she didn't.

One wouldn't go and start talking about inappropriate things, for a certain age group - at least it is unlikely.

She probably just attempted to educate.

[davidinalameda]

8. yeah, that must be it

would any rational person really think that "lesbian experiences" mean anything other than sex?

of course they're not going to come out and say she was discussing her sex life with these kids!

[Misunderestimator]

11. Oh PLEASE... You immediately jump to the assumption that it's about sex

even though it's not at all. Why on EARTH would "lesbian experiences" have a sexual connotation? ...because of the biased manner in which it was written. It should have been written "She discussed her experiences as a lesbian in response to their using derogatory terms against lesbians." How else to put it? Would ANYTHING written about this have made people not assume it was SEXUAL discussion just because of the term LESBIAN? That's disturbing all by itself.

[readmoreoften]

12. I agree, remember that Postcards from Buster episode...

These people didn't want their children 'exposed' to lesbianism, even though lesbianism was just two moms and their kid showing people how to harvest maple syrup.

[Siyahamba]

9. The kids probably asked if she had a boyfriend...

And she said no, and when they asked why not, she told them.

[dsc]

14. I wish the article were clearer

The phrasing could mean she talked about being a lesbian but it also could mean she talked about sex. The first would be fine, the second inappropriate. Until I am sure which she did, I am going to hold fire on this one.