Bifurcation in the Blogs
It's been fun reading the blogs as they react to the latest news in our MoCo sex-ed controversy.
There are, as you might imagine, two types of them.
The first type just takes PFOX's press release quoted in a previous post here, "School Board Finds Gay Gene," and prints the whole thing -- examples are:
The other type quotes one of the news articles about this (usually Daniel de Vise's excellent story on page A-1 of today's Washington Post) and then, when they get to the part where teachers can say that homosexuality is not a disease, the writer says -- "that's news?" or something to that effect:
Well, look, we're glad to get what we've got.
I heard myself telling one reporter yesterday after the vote: "I just don't know why this is so hard."
But the fact is, it is hard. The school district is a sprawling bureaucracy, board members have to keep their image in mind, and the whole thing is just very hard to budge. The system is sensitive to publicity and to the rise and fall of public opinion -- this is not a rock-n-roll situation where "bad press is better than no press," this is one where a hint of bad press scares them to death.
Some people in our group have made somewhat skeptical comments about the tiny concession made by the superintendent at the last minute, but we were glad to get it. Everybody in the county knows this curriculum falls far short of the values we live by, but at least it moved in the right direction.
There are, as you might imagine, two types of them.
The first type just takes PFOX's press release quoted in a previous post here, "School Board Finds Gay Gene," and prints the whole thing -- examples are:
The other type quotes one of the news articles about this (usually Daniel de Vise's excellent story on page A-1 of today's Washington Post) and then, when they get to the part where teachers can say that homosexuality is not a disease, the writer says -- "that's news?" or something to that effect:
- All Points In Between says: "And here I thought it was common sense."
- inRich Blog says, "If Pressed, They Can Also Explain That African-Americans Are Not Really 'Mud People'"
- Straight Not Narrow said, "Congratulations to the Montgomery County School Board and the organization Teach The Facts, which worked very hard to educate people and rally support for this progressive curriculum."
- Free State Politics said: "The school board approved a final set of revisions to the curriculum, now allowing teachers to say, for example, that homosexuality is not -- repeat, not -- a mental illness (I can't believe I had to write that)."
- A Taste of Ipecac said: "Wow. What a huge leap. The American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality was not a mental disorder in 1974. The World Health Organization came to the same conclusion in 1992. It's taken the school curriculum only 33 years to catch up."
Well, look, we're glad to get what we've got.
I heard myself telling one reporter yesterday after the vote: "I just don't know why this is so hard."
But the fact is, it is hard. The school district is a sprawling bureaucracy, board members have to keep their image in mind, and the whole thing is just very hard to budge. The system is sensitive to publicity and to the rise and fall of public opinion -- this is not a rock-n-roll situation where "bad press is better than no press," this is one where a hint of bad press scares them to death.
Some people in our group have made somewhat skeptical comments about the tiny concession made by the superintendent at the last minute, but we were glad to get it. Everybody in the county knows this curriculum falls far short of the values we live by, but at least it moved in the right direction.
posted by JimK at 10:40 PM
15 Comments:
According to that "excellent" story in the Post, most of the country is moving toward ab-only sex ed, something TTF has denied. The new Montgomery County curric is at the vanguard of advancing the gay agenda.
"As President Bush attempts to revive the controversial immigration reform bill he supports, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that Republicans are abandoning the president, which has dropped his job-approval rating below 30 percent -- his lowest mark ever in the survey.
But he isn’t the only one whose support is on the decline in the poll. CONGRESS’ approval rating has plummeted eight points, BRINGING IT BELOW EVEN BUSH'S. And just one in five believe the country is on the right track, which is the lowest number on this question in nearly 15 years."
So sad that Democrats believe the current state of affairs will accrue to their advantage.
Obviously, homosexuality is not a disease unless it becomes a compulsion. Usually, it's just a choice. When it moves beyond the ability to resist, it then becomes a disease.
Different stories- diferent situations.
Andrea- not anon
To nutty anon
Why not just go back to your friends at stupidlikeus.net or Ihategay.com.
"Obviously, homosexuality is not a disease unless it becomes a compulsion."
Today's Washington Post reports:
"Opponents of the sex education lessons, who generally said that homosexuality should not be taught as a topic in sex education, said they had no objection to the added language [if asked by a student: "Is homosexuality an illness?" The answer: It is not, according to the American Psychiatric Association.].
"We have never claimed homosexuality to be a mental illness," said Michelle
Turner, spokeswoman of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, the lead opposition group."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/13/AR2007061301088.html
Interesting comment from Michelle, inasmuch as she opposed that language when she was on the CAC, and since the CRC's current representative on the CAC has consistently opposed that language.
Perhaps they understand that being gay isn't an illness, but they have opposed MCPS efforts in this area because they oppose homosexuality on theological grounds? And if that is a correct understanding of their position, then the question is whether they are entitled to impose their theological beliefs on a public school curriculum.
Anonymous at June 13, 2007 11:25 PM
Anonymous, being gay isn't anymore of a choice than being straight - do you remember choosing to be straight?
"Interesting comment from Michelle, inasmuch as she opposed that language when she was on the CAC, and since the CRC's current representative on the CAC has consistently opposed that language.
Perhaps they understand that being gay isn't an illness, but they have opposed MCPS efforts in this area because they oppose homosexuality on theological grounds? And if that is a correct understanding of their position, then the question is whether they are entitled to impose their theological beliefs on a public school curriculum."
Perhaps they opposed it because it was part of an argument to present homosexuality as normal and socially and morally acceptable. Selective fact use, as it were.
Theologically, people are all over the map, but it seems the easiest fit with most theological views would be that it is within the will to indulge or resist such feelings.
Don't know of theologies where the "disease" model works well.
"Anonymous, being gay isn't anymore of a choice than being straight - do you remember choosing to be straight?"
Being straight is natural. Homosexuality is a choice to artificially forsake the natural.
Andrea- not anon
In the spirit of reasoned discourse, go away!
Anonymous said "Being straight is natural. Homosexuality is a choice to artificially forsake the natural."
Being gay is natural for a minority of the population. The existence of gays throughout time, across all societies, and throughout the animal kingdom show this.
Once again, if gays choose to be that way, why weren't you subject to making the same choice? Did you have to resist choosing to be gay at some point?
Anonymous again chooses the statements most likely to irritate LGBT people and their friends.
Any youth listening, we're planning a picnic for LGBT youth 20 and under at Virginia Highlands Park in Arlington (two blocks from the metro).
It's on the afternoon of July 15 (a Sunday).
For more info, contact me at rrigbyjr@yahoo.com
Any teachers interested in volunteering, let me know.
Yours in summer vacation,
Robert
BTW, the Prom/Passing the Torch on June 2 was fabulous, with 105 attendees, terrific food, good ceremony and speakers, and all the young peopl looked fabulous in their Prom clothes. UUCA wants to do it again next year.
VICTORY IN MASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was defeated today by a joint session of the Legislature by a vote of 45 to 151, eliminating any chance of getting it on the ballot in November 2008. At least 50 votes were needed to advance the measure.
Because fewer than 50 of the state's 200 lawmakers supported the amendment, it will not appear on the 2008 ballot, giving gay marriage advocates a major victory in their battle with social conservatives to keep same-sex marriage legal in Massachusetts.
Opponents of gay marriage face an increasingly tough battle to win legislative approval of any future petitions to appear on a statewide ballot. The next election available to them is 2012.
I believe if the gay lunatic fringe will just stay in Massachusetts, they will find they will enjoy an endless stream of victories.
Please stay there and build a true gay-encouraging environment.
Homophobic Russia is looking for a few good thugs.
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