High-School Gay Club Wins Suit
The school can't bar the Gay-Straight Alliance from meeting on campus.
Speaking of red meat ... this story has everything.
And don't you love it that this was White County, Georgia?
We need to contemplate that language for a few seconds before moving on. Slapping lipstick on a pig. Perfect.
Yes, very wise. Old Chinese saying: En boca cerrada, no entran moscas.
Reading other stories about this, we learn that P.R.I.D.E. is a gay-straight alliance chapter, and that this fight has been going on for a year and a half. Fred Phelps had brought his "God Hates Fags" church-group down to White County to voice their opposition to the club, and local preachers had told the school board they opposed allowing the club. The principal of the high school made a rule banning all non-academic clubs, leading to lipstick on pig etcetera.
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - A federal judge ruled Friday White County High School cannot deny a student gay rights club equal access or a fair opportunity to conduct meetings on school premises during noninstructional time.
"I think this is a triple victory," said Beth Littrell, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who filed the suit on behalf of Kerry Pacer, a graduate who was present of P.R.I.D.E. (Peers Rising in Diversity Education).
"I think it is obviously a victory for our courageous young plaintiff, it's a win for all students and a win for the principle of equality," Littrell added. "It sends a clear message that school officials can't discriminate against students." Judge rules gay group can use school
Speaking of red meat ... this story has everything.
And don't you love it that this was White County, Georgia?
U.S. District Court Judge William C. O'Kelley also ruled that White County cannot discriminate against student groups on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of their speech.
"The law was with us and the judge agreed, and interpreted the law as it had been interpreted," Littrell said. "The school did a good job of attempting to circumvent the federal law by dressing clubs up as organizations or faculty-led, basically slapped some lipstick on a pig."
We need to contemplate that language for a few seconds before moving on. Slapping lipstick on a pig. Perfect.
O'Kelley ruled that school officials violated the Federal Equal Access Act during the 2005-2006 school year by barring P.R.I.D.E. from meeting on campus, while allowing other non-curricular clubs to do so.
"I don't have any comment since I haven't had time to read it," said Brian Dorsey, the principal of White County High School.
Yes, very wise. Old Chinese saying: En boca cerrada, no entran moscas.
Reading other stories about this, we learn that P.R.I.D.E. is a gay-straight alliance chapter, and that this fight has been going on for a year and a half. Fred Phelps had brought his "God Hates Fags" church-group down to White County to voice their opposition to the club, and local preachers had told the school board they opposed allowing the club. The principal of the high school made a rule banning all non-academic clubs, leading to lipstick on pig etcetera.
posted by JimK at 6:15 PM
15 Comments:
Now the church can have the "God Hates Fags" group
the Democrats can have the "Kids For the KKK" group.
and nambla can have a group to, oh wait, the judge already said they can have a group.
Fascism = Communism = Politically Correct.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution? (since I did not read this part in the link, I am not sure as to the source of the comment, though I don't doubt it),
U.S. District Court Judge William C. O'Kelley also ruled that White County cannot discriminate against student groups on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of their speech.
And it is because of this that I think public schools ought to ban ALL non-curricular groups. What is a fascist group of students wants to organize? Heterosexual "pride" group? There are simply far too many potential problems with allowing any off campus group use public schools any more.
From the Washington Post,
Marching as to War
Former Air Force Officer Mikey Weinstein Zeroes In on Proselytizing in the Military
By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 16, 2006; Page D01
it looks like the Secular Jihadi are on the war path again. Here is one of my favorite parts of this
"news" article (it reads more like a press release from this group),
In spite of his pugnacity -- or maybe because of it -- Weinstein has enlisted a growing number of big-name allies.
The guest of honor at the party in Arlington is Joe Wilson, a career diplomat whose criticism of the Bush administration's rationale for war in Iraq led to the unmasking of his wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA officer and, ultimately, to perjury charges against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff.
He and Weinstein are natural allies, Wilson explains, "because I'm fighting the neo-cons, and he's fighting the theo-cons."
Now isn't that precious...Wilson is crank and a schill for the Angry Left's attempts at convincing the American voter that the Democratic Party ought to be trusted with majoritarian power (not that the Republican Party either to be perfectly honest, but hey...this is not a perfect world and one must choose the lesser of...oh well, you know the bromide.
"U.S. District Court Judge William C. O'Kelley also ruled that White County cannot discriminate against student groups on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of their speech."
Sounds like the Fishback revisions would be thrown out down there too.
Anon,
Yawn
Andrea
get those AP scores?
"Anon,
Yawn"
Apparently not boring enough for you to comment on. Now, unless we allow support groups for gay clubs for high schoolers, we're supposed to cancel all extracurricular clubs?
Parents will eventually rise up against this. In Montgomery County.
"A more basic question is what free speech rights high school students have. One court ruling said "students do not leave their constitutional rights at the school house door", if I haven't misquoted."
Robert
When you think about it, high schoolers don't have the same rights as you and I.
Freedom of Speech
No, they can be suspended for what they say.
Freedom of Press
The principal can stop them from distributing printed inforamtion.
Freedom of Religion
As long as they keep it to themselves in speeches.
Freedom to Bear Arms
Thui starg yerf blepso.
H.A.
digger writes (Robert?),
Non-curricular clubs include the chess club, the dance club, the comic-book club, the frisbee club, the diversity club, etc.
Do we want to ban all these clubs? What the district in Georgia apparently did was allow some clubs but not a GSA.
My answer would be yes...every last one of them...even the chess club. First off, it will dramatically reduce an area of litigation. Second, it will send a clear message to the so called Religious Right, as well as the Homosexualist Advocacy groups that the public schools are not going to be anyones playground, and that the focus will be on EDUCATION. Want to have a Bible Study?...organize it outside of school. Want a Chess Club? Fine, just organize it somewhere else...try the Community Room at your local public library. Want a Gay-Straight Alliance? Wonderful...find a local Gay-Lesbian advocacy group and ask them for help in organizing and finding a place to meet.
Especilly with Standards-based testing, the K-12 public schools do not have the luxary of getting sucked into any of these battles.
Unless they have a CURRICULAR purpose, ban them one and all.
Robert writes,
Yes, digger is Robert (college nickname; stems from a propensity for digging postholes on trailbuilding worktrips).
That's nifty...I never really had a nickname that stuck...
I think I get your point that schools should focus on education. But (here comes the liberal social engineer in me), schools are more than knowledge factories; they are communities. School is a large part of where kids grow up. That's why we have sports and extra-curricular activities. Kids need that in order to become adults. To be honest, a big reason why some kids come to school is the sports and the activities. It helps students retain some interest in what honestly can become a bit of a grind.
I see what you are saying...I guess I don't have a problem if (and only IF) it does not create a whole host of problems and issues (legal and political). I guess I would be more inclined towards a generous viewpoint if homosexual advocacy groups did not make it their life mission to legally beat up any public entity that assists the Boy Scouts...tolerance is a two-way street.
Now to GSAs. They exist legally in many places because of students' free speech and equal protection rights. But they serve a real purpose.
I wouldn't see GSAs as truly fostering the "Gay Agenda'. They really are student run, and 14-18 year-olds have different goals than adults.
I don't see the students as fostering any sort of homosexualist agenda, but others I suspect do see GSA's as an opportunity. Though I guess the part I have a problem with the most is that it appears that GSA's encourage "self-labeling", that is students identifying as gay/lesbian while they are yet teenagers. Now here I am thinking not only of my own experience, but of an essay I read, found here,
http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0506/opinion/scalia.html
(and yes, that is Father Paul Scalia, as in the Catholic Priest that is also the son of that US Sup Ct Justice by the same name). Here is one sentence that really stuck out,
Such categorizations feed into the adolescent penchant for labels.
So, I guess I still have some reservations about this...
First and foremost, they make schools safer. Simply hearing "the Gay-straight alliance will meet in room 120 at 2:20" once a week makes students, even homophobic students (homophobic in the sense of "let's go kick the queer") a little more comfortable around gay youth. Comfort decreases harassment.
I think a safer school environment is created and maintained when administrative staff and teachers clearly communicate a ZERO tolerance for harassment of any kind...period. In addition, this is an opportunity to teach ETHICS to students. I know something of this on a personal level...
They make lgbt youth more comfortable. Having a place to hang out with your friends at your school makes school a more tolerable place for students who can feel very alienated (and who can learn when he's alienated?).
Good point here...it is important to feel connected, like one has a stake in their school.
Some GSAs, but only some, educate their schools and faculties about lgbt youth and diversity. Most students in most GSAs aren't interested in that level of action, but GSAs provide a forum for those who are.
I understand your point, Orin, that schools should focus on education rather than social issues or fun activities; I would argue that you can't do the former well without the latter too. Youth have to more than simply students.
If this can be done without distracting from the educational mission of the school and without multiplying problems created by any number of outside groups (both Left and Right) that only want to disrupt the process, then perhaps I could be persuaded.
I'll give you an example: in the Latin class I'm taking this summer, we take our Latin and our curriculum very seriously; but we also go and eat together, and talk about more than grammar and scansion. The Latin teachers in Fairfax have a Latin teacher's club, which discusses curriculum and teaching methods, but also has feasts and celebrations.
I agree...though to be fair, the above example would not be an issue as it is a club with a direct curricular connection to the educational process.
I'm interested in hearing what you think.
Well, thank you...I hope I have answered some of the questions that have arisen in this conversation. Trust me when I say that I want the burden that possibly gay/lesbian students carry to be eased, not made more burdensome. I am reminded of a student I knew in high school that I now know to have been gay (we were both LDS). Later I heard whispers that he had moved to Hollywood (West?). And then still later, I heard that he had died, and was left with the impression that he had been murdered. Sad, very sad...
"Back to Ovid and Vergil."
Try Cato.
• MY HIV DISEASE WAS CURED BY DR NICE, WITH HIS HERBAL HEALING SPELL/ (drniceharbelhealinghome@gmail.com).DR NICE is the only Dr who could ever get my HIV-AIDS cured with his healing spell, I have tried almost everything but I couldn’t find any solution on my disease, despite all these happening to me, I always spend a lot to buy a HIV drugs from hospital and taking some several medications but no relieve, until one day I was just browsing on the internet when I come across a great post of! Michelle! who truly said that she was been diagnose with HIV and was healed that very week through the help of these great powerful healing spell doctor, sometime I really wonder why people called him DR NICE I never knew it was all because of the great and perfect work that he has been doing that is causing all this. so I quickly contacted him, and he ask me some few questions and he said a thing I will never forget that anyone who contacted him is! always getting his or her healing in just 6 hours after doing all he ask you, so I was amazed all the time I heard that from him, so I did all things only to see that at the very day which he said I will be healed, all the strength that has left me before rush back and I becomes very strong and healthy, this disease almost kills my life all because of me, so I went to hospital to give the final test to the disease and the doctor said I am HIV negative, I am very amazed and happy about the healing Dr NICE gave to me from the ancient part of Africa, you can email him now for your own healing too at :drniceharbelhealinghome@gmail.com
Who will ever believe that a herb can cure 12 years HIV in my body, My name is Williams Morgan, I never believe that it will work that is why am dropping this post. I have spent a lot getting drugs from the hospital to keep me healthy, what i was waiting for was death because I was broke. One day a friend of mine from UK came to visit me and saw my condition was getting worst, then she told me about this great man from African called professor oseamuyi who cured her sister from HIV and cancer of the breast, without demanding much from her, she told me that he is well known in curing HIV/AIDS, HERPES (HSV1, HSV2), (HPV) ACUTE RETROVIRAL SYNDROME (ARS), CANCER, VITILIGO, DIABETES, HEPATITIS B. CANCER, CELIAC, CHLAMYDIA, STROKE and any kind of Deadly DISEASES. I decided to email him, unknowingly to me that this will be the end of the HIV aids in my body, he prepare for me Herbs and prescription on how to take it, at the end of three weeks, i was asked to go to the hospital for a checkup, and i went, Surprisingly after the test the doctor confirm me negative, i thought it was a joke, i went to another hospital, it was also negative, I was so happy that I quickly introduce my friend who has been suffering from Herpes for the past 5 years to professor oseamuyi, after taking the Herbs professor oseamuyi send to her, less than four days the inching and pains stop, less than 3 weeks she was completely heal and healthy again. Words alone cannot express how much joy and happiness i have now... Please I want everyone out there with any virus or infection to be healed and healthy, Health is Wealth. Contact professor oseamuyi on:professoroseamuyi@yahoo.com for he is indeed a great man. you can also contact me on my email:williamsmorgan621@gmail.com
Thank you so much to provide such a nice article. Gay bars once served as the centre of gay culture and were one of the few places people with same-sex orientations and gender-variant identities could openly socialize. Visit La Productions for more info.
Very nice post here thanks for it .I always like and such a super contents of these post.Excellent and very cool idea and great content of different kinds of the valuable information's. Get the whole information about the real state market by visiting on light farms homes for sale
Post a Comment
<< Home