Tensions ease over gay posters

[davidinalameda]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/26/BAGHRGT0GD1.DTL

Two days after San Leandro High School teachers were ordered to hang posters in their rooms promoting tolerance toward gay students, many faculty and students said the move was long overdue.

"It shouldn't even be a debate. Kids need to feel comfortable in class, and the adults need to make sure that happens," said senior Je'Nea Woods. "The school environment's supposed to be about students. Everyone should feel safe whether they're homosexual or not."

The school board-mandated posters sparked a controversy Monday when a handful of the school's 120 teachers said the posters -- which feature pink triangles, a rainbow banner and the words "safe space" -- contradicted their religious beliefs.

TV news crews swarmed the 2,500-student campus Tuesday, and Principal Amy Furtado spent much of the day, the second day of the spring semester, fielding calls from the media, parents and the community.

[marmar]

1. "contradicted their religious beliefs"

I'm so fucking sick of these people....

:puke:

[Zenlitened]

2. Yeah, creating a "safe space" contradicts their religious beliefs.

That tells ya a lot about their religion, doesn't it?

Sick.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. "If I can't harass gay students and make them feel unsafe..."

"... then my Lord and my God are not being served. If you force me to act nice to disease-ridden, God hating students, I will scream religious persecution! And just try to fire me for not doing my job as a teacher!"

[carl_pwccaman]

4. Re: wording/imagery...

The words 'safe space' are great, they really confront the bigotted bozos...

I think the pink triangles and rainbows are interpreted as support for an agenda/belief...

So I think at present, such posters set things up so that the religious right can claim they are for a 'safe space' but against the idea of supporting the politics/lifestyle/beliefs of the 'gay agenda'...

I think it would be useful, potentially very powerful, to PUT such people in a position where they CAN'T sidestep the issue, and MUST focus on the concept of 'safe space' in the sense of freedom from bullying or harassment.

I.e., if there was a poster that more clearly indicated freedom from bullying/harassment, instead of implying agreement over a political/ideological viewpoint, the right wing couldn't complain at all without looking like unreasonable bigots.

As it is they have too much wiggle room, they can make it sound plausible. I'd like to remove that loophole for them, so that they have to either support a non-bullying, non-harassing, safe environment for students (including gay students), or else be called on the carpet for dereliction of duty and lack of ethics.