grownups “no” best
kateMany area high schools have clubs encouraging alliances between different types of students, whether Jewish and Christian or gay and straight. Parents determined to do away with such tolerance and cooperation showed up at last night’s Hillsborough County School Board meeting with a wagon of petitions and a busload of moral indignation. Their chief complaint centers around the idea that clubs “sexual in nature” are inappropriate for school campuses.
A friend of mine sponsors a Gay-Straight Alliance and to suggest the club is sexually-themed is a myth probably started by someone who never attended a meeting. These kids discuss intolerance and bullying that occurs in classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias almost on a daily basis. They find solace and support each other through what can sometimes be a harrowing teenage experience. The upside? Many incidents of discrimination disappear once these clubs are formed because there is strength in numbers.
Since “Gay-Straight” anything seems to scare simpleminded grownups, a suggestion has surfaced to change club names to incorporate tolerance or something equally inclusive. Why continue giving in to conservative pressure? I’m tired of accommodating people who don’t even bother getting informed before getting involved. Some high schools even require parental permission to join these clubs while other activities require no such consent- and even that isn’t good enough.
The School Board, in typical fashion, will look at all clubs now to determine which should stay or go. I hope members learned something from the holiday debacle and decide against removing all interest clubs not academically-themed. Students deserve a safe haven from harassment. It’s too bad these clubs can’t protect them from bigoted adults as well.
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December 14th, 2005 at 5:52 pm
Ignorant people fear and hate what they don’t understand. Gays in Florida just can’t seem to get a break.
December 14th, 2005 at 6:44 pm
Ignorance and intolerance straddles “the aisle”.
Something else I think might be in play here…
Why let kids help the community? They’re just dumb anyway right? I’ve never understood that mentality. I fought against it as a teenager myself, and I still despise it as a 30-something adult.
December 15th, 2005 at 3:03 am
augh. what is wrong with this area?
December 15th, 2005 at 9:26 am
what does Rhonda think about all of this? /sarcasm
December 15th, 2005 at 3:30 pm
I completely agree with Kate. Teens need to be able to have a place to express there stands on issues and learn how to accept others. Some of these teens may have parents that do not accept gay people and at the club the teen gets to make up there own mind. Adults tend to forget teens do have there own minds. I think clubs like this are great, we all need to educate ourselves so that we can build a better generation, maybe one not so prejudice of people that are not the standard normal.
December 15th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
The Hillsborough Taliban strikes again. Believe and behave exactly as they do or leave.
December 16th, 2005 at 10:33 am
Hillsborough County’s School Board should go after the real sexually-themed club menacing local high schools for years -Future Farmers of America
December 16th, 2005 at 10:38 am
isn’t there an abstinence club?
December 16th, 2005 at 11:36 am
Yeah, Tommy, it’s called National Honor Society.
December 16th, 2005 at 11:36 am
or Chess Club
December 16th, 2005 at 11:36 am
or Band
Okay. I’ll stop now.
December 16th, 2005 at 2:37 pm
Hey, I was in NHS, and I…uh…um…er…
Damn you, Kate.