Ew, as a Tennessean, I am so embarrassed to be bringing you this news. From the blog of the Tennessee Equality Project:
The Senate voted to approve an amended version of SB0049 by a vote of 19 to 11.
[...]
Tennessee Equality Project observes that the amended version of SB0049 no longer makes direct reference to sexual orientation. However, SB0049 and its House companion (HB0229) remain a threat to safe schools in Tennessee. The State House of Representatives is expected to review HB0229 as early as January of 2012. TEP will continue to advocate against both versions of the Don’t Say Gay Bill.
A little more background from the AP:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A bill passed Friday by the Tennessee Senate would forbid public school teachers and students in grades kindergarten through eight from discussing the fact that some people are gay.
Opponents deride the measure as the “don’t say gay bill.” They say it’s unfair to the children of gay parents and could lead to more bullying. Supporters say it is intended to give teachers clear guidance for dealing with younger children on a potentially explosive topic.
If this makes it all the way through, it will of course be tied up in litigation and laughed at by the judiciary, but this is what happens when you hand truly stupid people the keys to the statehouse.
From the link to the Tennessee Equality Project website, this law now provides: “Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any instruction or materials made available or provided at or to a public elementary or middle school shall be limited exclusively to natural human reproduction science. . . .” Doesn’t that mean that “natural human reproduction science” is the ONE and ONLY subject allowed to be taught in schools?
Let’s see now. A kid in eighth grade in America is what, 13 years old? Yeah, in this age of “Internet and television show EVERYTHING,” it is really smart to keep a kid who is experiencing hormones for the first time in his or her life completely in the dark at school, where he or she is theoretically taught the skills and knowledge that will be necessary in life. Have these dingbats really failed to notice the grotesque number of young LGBT people who have killed themselves for “not fitting in”? Do they not recognize the causative factor here? Forgive me, but I really, really, really hope that every single senator who voted for this piece of evil claptrap will turn out to have a gay or lesbian child. Who will then say fie to his or her bigoted parent.
Just say “Takei”!
Well, I was going to make a joke about passing legislation that denies reality, but it’s not like this is the first time.
[...] response to the Tennessee Senate’s passage of an amended version of Stacey Campfield’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, someone [...]