Oak Park Couple's Effort To Eliminate Anti-Gay Slurs In Classroom Angers Local Conservatives

Chicago Tribune:

What Beye Elementary saw as an effort to prevent anti-gay slurs in the classroom turned into a tug-of-war over whether teachers should discuss same-sex relationships with children as early as kindergarten.

Read the whole story: Chicago Tribune

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Comments

[snarkwaupaca]

As a Beye Parent who was at the meeting: It was really heart wrenching to see that high school kid leave in pain and it was understandable that the Cristian lady would have been upset with the impact of her words. This kid came to the PTO meeting with good will to talk to parents and teachers(not students) about what it is like to be LGBT in Oak Park. Side note: The kid of one of the 3 upset evangelicals at the meeting has on several occasions told my Buddhist child "He was going to hell because he did not believe in Jesus."

Hypocrisy is an easy trap.

[MTLAUREL]

Society will move forward one way or another- that is the nature of it.There is no point in fighting, denying or trying to go back in time. Lately, the right wing seems like they want the 1950's back again. A losing proposition. Just talk to kids- the most valuable thing in life-what are you so afraid
of. Kids can handle it- just get with age-appropriate stuff. But don't sit there and say, none of this.

[crookedcountyillinois]

I believe in the rights of all people, including homosexuals. But just as I believe in their rights, including gay marriage, I can also acknowledge that others feel differently.

As much as this wouldn't bother me if it were my kids in Oak Park, perhaps the classroom isn't the best place to discuss sexuality and marriage...?

One additional point: conservatives in Oak Park should show up at the polls on election day; instead of complaining after the fact. And from what I've heard, there are multiple high-level family members in duplicate roles all throughout Oak Park's school systems; costing Oak Park taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Perhaps residents should take a closer look at how their money is being spent by school administrators...?

[stav506]

Where else are they going to learn if their parent's don't discuss it with them? TV? That's a great parent isn't it?

[Eric8869]

They were NOT discusiing sexuality. that is what all people who are ignorant about gay people assume. Gay does not equal sex. If I was paralyzed from the neck down i would still be gay. I would still want to love and be loved by a man...period. It is NOT a sexual activity.

Talking about not making anti-gay slurs or acknowledging gay families in class is NOT talkind about sex or sexuality. That is all right wing scare tactics and just another excuse to call gays child molestors.

[crookedcountyillinois]

If that's what the conversation was about, then you're absolutely right. I wasn't there, so I don't know exactly what was said. But you're right that "gay" isn't about sexuality. It's about people. And bringing up the words "gay" or "homosexual" in the classroom shouldn't be treated like a virus.

Frankly, I think that people who are uptight about it are bigots; and I have little tolerance for any gay-bashing or "moral" opinions that homosexuality is wrong. But they're out there, and they think that something as innocent as being gay is immoral.

What can I say? Freedom's not perfect.

[CherrySpring]

I think it's perfectly fine for the teachers to correct students when they use terms like "that's so gay", or any other kind of insult. I think that kind of language is used more often with the older kids (4th and 5th grade), and by the age of 10 it's a good idea to tell them exactly why it's wrong. This can be done in a broad, inoffensive way (why the topic should offend anyone baffles me) that should be pleasing to all the parents. I don't think, however, that a more detailed discussion of human sexuality (of any kind) for K-5th grade students is necessary. A simple statement like: "some people have a mom and a dad, some have two moms, others have two dads, some are raised by their grandparents, some by a single parent, others are adopted, some are in foster care, etc., etc., there is no wrong or right kind of family" should suffice.

[Eric8869]

That is all they are discussing in schools - they are not discussing sex and sexuality at all. It's not that conservatives are mad that a teacher is talking about heather having two mommies conservatives are mad that heather HAS two mommies. They will do anything and everything to block gay rights.

Just look at the American evangelical support of gays being killed in Uganda for being gay. This topic is a smokescreen for hatred.

Conservatives don't waste any opportunity to try and call gay people child molestors. No matter the topic. They are disgusting.

[CherrySpring]

I agree. But you have to use their words against them. If they pretend like the opposition to the discussion of gays is about the discussion of sexuality, then you have to get around it by not talking to the children about sexuality directly, but broadly. At any rate, conservatives in Oak Park have to be very lonely, LOL.

[Trance2010]

100 years ago gay meant "happy". Then it became a synonym for homosexual. Now it means "dumb". Words change. Language is organic.

[LMPE]

More instances of right-wingers getting up in arms over something that should have gotten resolved decades ago.

[CDMelty]

They don't need to discuss any relationships in kindergarten. Just tell the kids those are bad words and don't use them. You don't go into a discussion about sex to try to eliminate the word f*ck, there's no reason to have to explain meanings to get kids to stop using offensive words. "That's disrespectful and we don't talk like that." Eliminate f*g and teach them that "That's so gay" is disrespectful and unacceptable. When they're older you tell them why, nut at age 5 you just tell them not to.

[dm60462]

There are conservatives in Oak Park???

[Cogs]

Bigots have no boundaries.

[jcwtts1]

That isn't the way to win this argument.

[Eric8869]

If the shoe fits.......

[Eric8869]

Just look at all the vile comments under the story on the Tribune story. This is ALL about bigotry.

[NewArtz]

Who's trying to win an argument with bigots? There is no winning an argument with bigots because bigotry isn't a reasonable idea with which to argue.

Bigotry is hatred that resides in the autonomic nervous system. Bigotry is unreasonable hatred.

Bigots can only stop hating, when they start loving. Victims of bigotry can only endure the hatred until bigots choose a higher moral stance.

Homosexuals are victims of bigotry, and bigots are unreasonable haters for which no argument abates their unmerited fears and prejudice.

If you aren't a bigot, then you understand that in America, people should be free from the hatred that imposes discrimination, which limits another citizens right to equality.

This is an adult conversation, and children shouldn't be using adult words, should they?