By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Jan 23 | A couple of days after President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard Act into law last October, I ran into Judy Shepard on the sidewalk in front of the Mayflower Hotel on Connecticut Avenue here in Washington. After we exchanged pleasantries I congratulated Judy on the success of her 10 year long quest, to make sure there was justice for LGBT people and others affected by hate, in seeking passage of the law named for her murdered oldest son. There was one thing that she said to me that day that has stuck in my mind;
"Brody, we aren't there yet, not even close. This won't end until we don't need a law like that. I am going to continue to fight to erase hate until then."
Fast forward to yesterday evening and as I am sitting down taking a break, watching the news, and idly surfing through the websites and blogs I follow, I was jolted then disgusted and outraged when I read this at the ADVOCATE.com:
Wheatland, Wyoming High School Photo By Advocate.comWyoming School Board Removes Antihate Banners
By Kenneth Harvey (Advocate.com) Jan 22 | School board members in Wheatland, Wyo., have prohibited antidiscrimination banners because an LGBT rights group is among their sponsors.
"If this is the way one chooses, then they can lead this particular lifestyle, but I don't believe it needs to be publicly displayed in a school,"
Platte County School District 1 board member Lee Dunham said of the banners, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. [ Continues Here ]
The source article written by Wyoming Tribune Eagle staff writer Michael Van Cassell also quotes Joe Fabian, another board member, who indicated that he believed that the Anti-Defamation League is pushing an,
"...agenda that is pro-gay marriage" and that the community of Wheatland is not supportive of that.They wouldn't want the organization, the Anti-Defamation League, dictating to their children that an alternate lifestyle is a normal lifestyle."
He also blamed school administrators for allowing the banners without board approval. He then implied students who were not supportive of the banner suffered discrimination. Fabian spoke of a "moral attitude by the community" and indoctrination of students.
"I don't believe (homosexuality) is a normal lifestyle, but I don't have anything against them," he said.
Reaction from the Wyoming chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union condemned the school board's actions according to ACLU spokesperson Linda Burt.
"It's extraordinarily unfortunate and extraordinarily shortsighted. Does that mean this is a place for hate?" she asked. "Does that mean this is a place for discrimination?"
She said young gay and lesbian students often have difficulties in school. "That just sort of underlines that difficulty and lack of acceptance," she said of the banners issue.
Located about 67 miles north of the Wyoming capital city of Cheyenne just off Interstate 25, and according to the U. S. census of 2000, there were 3,548 people, 1,539 households, and 980 families residing in the town of Wheatland. The population density was 837.6 people per square mile (323.1/km²). There were 1,764 housing units at an average density of 416.4/sq mi (160.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.00% White, 0.31% African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 1.89% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.54% of the population. Pretty boring statistics for a town that apparently is really homophobic according to the gist of the comments that I read following the article. Here's a sampling of how the 'good folk' of Wheatland saw the banners issue:
L. L. wrote on Jan 23, 2010 6:50 AM:
" I am an alumn of the PCSD, and am embarrassed for the current school board, school system, and community. Fear is a destructive force, and fear is what is driving this hate-filled decision. Fear only leads to intolerance. Intolerance leads to discrimination and violence. Did you learn nothing from the case of Mr. Shepard? Going even further back in history, did you learn nothing from the holocaust--a campaign based entirely on fear and hatred? The students of PCSD, regardless of their belief system, have been taught it is okay to be intolerant of others. They have been taught it is okay to hate. The decision has also made acceptable a very unsafe situation for any students that may be homosexual within the walls of the PCSD. Shame on the PCSD.
"former grad wrote on Jan 23, 2010 8:50 AM:
" i do not believe that gay and lesbian supporters should be aloud to participate in any school activities its hard enough to teach our kids the right way to live without having this going on to make them think that being homosexual is just dandy that is NOT the way the lord made us it was adam and eve not adam and steve!!!! "
Snafu wrote on Jan 23, 2010 7:23 AM:
" Just the name on the banner reveals their underlying mission of indoctrination of youth. These gay and lesbian groups have sent the message that if you don't agree with them that homosexuality is not only morally right but equal with heterosexual relationships, then you must have hate. I believe homosexuality is wrong, it goes against nature, etc, but I would NEVER assault, harass or say anything bad to a homosexual. BUT, if I tell my children that it is wrong, like GOD says, then these groups say I'm full of hate or a homophobe. "
Tony J. wrote on Jan 22, 2010 5:39 PM:
" Thanks to all the parents and school board officials who stood up for our kids. They are still our children and we are the ones who should teach our kids morals, not the schools. Schools are for academic learning and the parents responsibility are teaching ethics, values and morals. "
disappointed wrote on Jan 22, 2010 4:56 PM:
" Wow, after all these years and everything that has happened I can't believe that an anti-hate program is being shut down by simple minded, ignorant people. I am not a homosexual, but I have friends who are and I find this disturbing. Are the posters saying "Be Gay! It's better that way!" or in any other way trying to force their lifestyles onto these students? NO! Didn't the people of Wyoming learn anything when Matthew Shephard died? The parents in Wheatland need to realize that the anti-hate message is a good thing and stop worrying that posters will turn their children into homosexuals! "
PCSD Board Supporter wrote on Jan 22, 2010 3:23 PM:
" I would just like to say that we as citizens elect people to boards to make decisions. If they aren't making the decisions people like, then at election time put somebody else in the position. I am in full support of the School Board and would like to tell them Thank you for putting yourselves on the line to make those decisions. "
Finally, there was this one;
k douglas wrote on Jan 22, 2010 6:50 AM:
" I'm glad Wheatland is a place not in need of anti hate training..Just like Laramie and young Mr Shepard... "
If there were any doubts that being LGBT and especially young is still a massive personal trial, an obstacle to personal growth and something to be fearful of in terms of accepting oneself as a LGBT person, then this mess in Wheatland, ironically not more than a 100 miles from Judy Shepard's Laramie home, illustrates just how bad things really still are.
" I am an alumn of the PCSD, and am embarrassed for the current school board, school system, and community. Fear is a destructive force, and fear is what is driving this hate-filled decision. Fear only leads to intolerance. Intolerance leads to discrimination and violence. Did you learn nothing from the case of Mr. Shepard? Going even further back in history, did you learn nothing from the holocaust--a campaign based entirely on fear and hatred? The students of PCSD, regardless of their belief system, have been taught it is okay to be intolerant of others. They have been taught it is okay to hate. The decision has also made acceptable a very unsafe situation for any students that may be homosexual within the walls of the PCSD. Shame on the PCSD.
"former grad wrote on Jan 23, 2010 8:50 AM:
" i do not believe that gay and lesbian supporters should be aloud to participate in any school activities its hard enough to teach our kids the right way to live without having this going on to make them think that being homosexual is just dandy that is NOT the way the lord made us it was adam and eve not adam and steve!!!! "
Snafu wrote on Jan 23, 2010 7:23 AM:
" Just the name on the banner reveals their underlying mission of indoctrination of youth. These gay and lesbian groups have sent the message that if you don't agree with them that homosexuality is not only morally right but equal with heterosexual relationships, then you must have hate. I believe homosexuality is wrong, it goes against nature, etc, but I would NEVER assault, harass or say anything bad to a homosexual. BUT, if I tell my children that it is wrong, like GOD says, then these groups say I'm full of hate or a homophobe. "
Tony J. wrote on Jan 22, 2010 5:39 PM:
" Thanks to all the parents and school board officials who stood up for our kids. They are still our children and we are the ones who should teach our kids morals, not the schools. Schools are for academic learning and the parents responsibility are teaching ethics, values and morals. "
disappointed wrote on Jan 22, 2010 4:56 PM:
" Wow, after all these years and everything that has happened I can't believe that an anti-hate program is being shut down by simple minded, ignorant people. I am not a homosexual, but I have friends who are and I find this disturbing. Are the posters saying "Be Gay! It's better that way!" or in any other way trying to force their lifestyles onto these students? NO! Didn't the people of Wyoming learn anything when Matthew Shephard died? The parents in Wheatland need to realize that the anti-hate message is a good thing and stop worrying that posters will turn their children into homosexuals! "
PCSD Board Supporter wrote on Jan 22, 2010 3:23 PM:
" I would just like to say that we as citizens elect people to boards to make decisions. If they aren't making the decisions people like, then at election time put somebody else in the position. I am in full support of the School Board and would like to tell them Thank you for putting yourselves on the line to make those decisions. "
Finally, there was this one;
k douglas wrote on Jan 22, 2010 6:50 AM:
" I'm glad Wheatland is a place not in need of anti hate training..Just like Laramie and young Mr Shepard... "
If there were any doubts that being LGBT and especially young is still a massive personal trial, an obstacle to personal growth and something to be fearful of in terms of accepting oneself as a LGBT person, then this mess in Wheatland, ironically not more than a 100 miles from Judy Shepard's Laramie home, illustrates just how bad things really still are.
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1 comments:
"If this is the way one chooses, then they can lead this particular lifestyle, but I don't believe it needs to be publicly displayed in a school"
Why would one ever actually choose to have people biased against one? Why?
I never chose to be homosexual. I was horrified, terrified and suicidal when I discovered it as a wholly unwelcome shock at puberty.
Given the choice I would prefer none of those and simply to have been disappointed that my potential choice of partner was now severely restricted. But no-one gave me that choice.
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