Exodus is alarmed at tolerance in Florida.
Legislation being considered by a Florida senate panel targets harassment committed in public schools
on the basis of
basis of real or perceived identity or expression of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, sex or gender, disability, or sexual orientation, on the basis of stereotypes of persons identified by these categories, or on the basis of association with others identified by these categories.
Legislation text and summary are online.
Exodus erroneously states that the legislation singles out homosexuals and transgendered individuals for protection. The organization also states erroneously that transsexuals are cross-dressers. Strangely, Exodus hints at dire consequences if young school kids might be taught that it’s wrong to ridicule or bully their classmates, or if teen-agers and faculty are taught that it’s wrong to threaten and beat up students.
Far from silencing people of faith, the legislation protects people of faith from harassment due to their religion, gender, or heterosexuality or homosexuality. The bill (as worded) would prevent misbehaved students and presumptuous faculty from using taxpayer-funded facilities to harass youths of different faiths and backgrounds in a place where youth attendance is compulsory. It would protect the ability of parents to raise their own children free from the bullying of abusive or activist students and adults who do not reflect the parents’ moderate or tolerant moral, religious and social values.
The Exodus news item calls on Florida voters to demand religious and educational intolerance from their senators and, by logical extension, calls on taxpayers to fork out even more millions of dollars in court costs and penalties. Parents of bullied students have been successfully suing school districts for failing to curtail harassment.