The anti-gay right is waging a campaign to make them seem the victims of homosexual militant extremists. Sometimes in their efforts to seem reasonable average folk, they make the most outlandish, bizarre, and self-contradictory statements.
For example Kristy DeGuise, a parent in Vermont, is upset that the local school had a presentation about anti-gay bullying. She had this to say:
“I don’t mind them going to talk to the students about certain things, and I understand them talking about being gay or lesbian and kids finding out about their sexuality, but I don’t think school is the place to do it,” DeGuise said. “I don’t think it should be brought up in a classroom situation. School is a place to learn. I don’t personally believe that learning about not bashing gays is going to get them a better job in life.”
In other words, she’ll all in favor of learning, just not in school. Because school is a place to learn.
And, of course, it never enter’s DeGuise’s head that “they” includes gay kids and that having other children learn not to bash them will most definitely improve their chances in life in ways that include and exceed getting a better job.
DeGuise listed the other things presented that week: the dangers of substance abuse, eating disorders, the risks of using tobacco, suicide prevention and violence against women. DeGuise had no complaints about those things, however. Presumably because she thinks they will help her daughter get a better job in life.
DeGuise and a few other parents thought their kids didn’t need any lessons about anti-gay bullying. However, I think that DeGuise’s 12 year old daughter, Kaitlyn Bruley, may have inadvertently put in words exactly why the school felt that anti-gay bullying needed to be addressed:
Mom, I don’t want to hear about it. It’s disgusting.
Does it not occur to this woman that her children will be entering a workforce with openly gay colleagues, not to mention anti-discrimination laws that cover the GLBT community? That they will be attending college with openly gay students? Living near openly gay people? Of course such lessons are important to the futures of students – they are part of the “life lessons” that are just as vital as the three Rs.
There won’t be any gay colleagues, classmates, or neighbors if she can help it. That’s what closets and jails were built for.
I’m sure you’re right, Mike. If a few gay kids get bashed she likely considers that a reasonable so she doesn’t have to be offended by seeing same sex affection or, say, an effeminate boy – people like her think gays deserve bashings for daring to exist. But unfortunately for her, the times they are a changin’ and the older she gets the more of a bigot she’ll be seen as.
Timothy and Mike, perfect perfect perfect. Thank you.
Speaking of bigots trying to frame themselves as the victims of the “gay agenda”:
Gays are the new rape victims, it seems–it’s their own fault, they were asking for it by flaunting their sexuality.
It’s moments like this — a discussion about not bullying or abusing people — that one get’s to see if someone truly lives by the often pronounced creed of “Hate the sin, Love the sinner”.What parent could or should object to their child hearing not to bully or abuse people? Including gay men and women?Nope, instead we get some nonsense about kids of 11 or 12 having never heard or used the word gay… “They don’t need to know about gays and lesbians…”Sorry dear. I think they already do — or rather, they have already picked up how to use slurs without having much of an idea what they are talking about.