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Wow! I thought I'd check the news before turning in, and I found this on MSNBC. Two things are striking, the first being how much this parallels the story PB wrote in All Things Denied; and the second being the divide in generations. The kids are accepting while their parents are not. I think that bodes well for the future, things are (slowly) getting better.
PONCE DE LEON, Fla. - When a high school senior told her principal that students were taunting her for being a lesbian, he told her homosexuality is wrong, outed her to her parents and ordered her to stay away from children.
He suspended some of her friends who expressed their outrage by wearing gay pride T-shirts and buttons at Ponce de Leon High School, according to court records. And he asked dozens of students whether they were gay or associated with gay students.
Comments
What the hell
This guy lifted up girls shirts! Why has he not been arrested? Thats an illegal search, not to mention sexual assalt. He is dangerous. The school should have fired him. If only to save their own asses. Only in a small town could he get away with this shit.
My Gast Is Flabbered
The man committed violations of student's freedom of expression, violated their right to an education, committed sexual assault, unlawful searches, and that's not even touching on the whole separation of church and state issues or the violation of the trust between student and teacher.
And yet he was merely demoted from Principal to Teacher and touted as a hero in the town.
The real problem
The real problem in Florida is that the principal could not be charged with child abuse because she was 18. In Florida once a person turns 18 they are no longer a minor and that is why the principal got away with it. Florida throws kids out of foster care facilities the very minute a kid turns 18 under state care because they get no federal dollars for them after they turn 18 regardless if they are still in high school. This is the same state that ran the ray boys out of Arcadia, FL with torches and shotguns. The boys were heterosexual but got aids through transfusions.
Jenna from FL
Hugs,
Jenna From FL
Moderator/Editor
TopShelf BigCloset
It is a long road ahead but I will finally become who I should be.
Doesnt stop her from suing him for illegal conduct
and for starting a class action lawsuit against the schoolboard by students and possible action such as posting the principals photo and address and car make on the web so others know exactly who he is and where he is and what groups he supports and where his money is tied to. Slice off the money to the religious groups funding this hatred and shut them down! America has NO room for sexual difference hatred and religions that support violence and hatred against us or tell us how we have to live. Thats the stone age speaking. Its time to step into the space age. Trying to attack gays lesbians, tgs and bis and shutting down women's clinics and infringing on their rights as citizens and human beings... that WILL be stopped! We can all lay our lives down for those principles and defend them.
Identify politicians, religious leaders, and anyone attacking our rights and label them, watch them and begin to dissect their ability to attack us. It takes an effort by all of us to safeguard our rights. If we don't protect ourselves and actively tear down those who would attack us, we are asking for our own downfall by lack of action.
I hate religious idiots who cant mind their own beeswax and let others lead their own lives and keep their bigoted opinions to themselves!
(Added: This event just has me riled and I had to get this anger at their idiocy out.)
Sephrena Lynn Miller
BigCloset TopShelf
lawsuit
She would lose considering it is a small town and that is the only judge in that town. Her judge would be the same one that let the principal off. The best choice is to go to the Federal court system and file a federal hate crime charge and the case would be held in federal court and maybe this jerk will spend sometime in a federal jail in Tallahassee for his act.
Jenna From FL
Hugs,
Jenna From FL
Moderator/Editor
TopShelf BigCloset
It is a long road ahead but I will finally become who I should be.
I'm not sure, but...
...I don't think gay or trans people are covered under any federal hate-crime legislation.
Hate Crime
Its not that anyone is not covered by the laws, its getting the law enforcement officers, lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and juries to actually, arrest, prosecute and so forth. Sadly this happens all over the country, and world. Thankfully its becoming less popular(yah I could use other words) to publicly out/humiliate, and show negativity (bigotry).
It Just Gets Worse
The further you look into this story, the sadder you'll get. Here's a local story about the school board meeting last night.
http://www.chipleypaper.com/news/attacked_2169___article.htm...
The clinging to "religion" as an excuse by the homophobes is preposterous and their claims to being Christian are hypocritical sacrilege. Jesus never went around promoting fear, intolerance and hatred like they do. He preached unconditional peace, love, equality and tolerance.
Amy's Sanctity
When I read newspaper accounts such as these I think back to when I posted Amy's Sanctity on FM a few years ago and was slammed by several who called my story distasteful, naive, or worse. It was mostly received with appreciation here.
The message in that story and what I want to say is bigotry is healthy and growing in our country.
When I look at Obama I see another skilled politician who will do and say what he needs to say to get elecetd. Not a pretty picture, even though I will probably have to vote for him because McCain is caving even more from the man I backed quite heavily eight years ago.
The tragic thing is there are many in the U.S. who see Obama as a threat to their lifestyle. The worst epithet they throw at him is "Muslim" -- which he isn't, but if he was -- so what?
People fear Obama because he's different. Isn't that the very essence of bigotry?
You can oppose Obama and not be a bigot. I have many friends who oppose him because they haven't seen substance in his positions. I have many friends who think McCain is a more proven leader. I respect those views.
I wouldn't be all that disappointed to wake up in November and find John McCain under my tree. As I said, I backed him quite strongly before he mysteriously pulled out after S.C. I think he will govern as a much different man than the one who is running.
This is not a political discussion -- it is a caution that the bigots are winning. A Bible on the superintendent's desk? What a country. Christian license plates! What a country. What would happen if people sported Wiccan license plates or a Supt. kept a satanic bible on his desk.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
This is outrageous
because the "principal" is there to see to the orderly running of that school. (Damn pervert, lifting girl's shirts -- why isn't something done about that? I guess the town accepted that.) Whether a student is friends with a Gay student is none of his/her damn business! I'm reasonably straight (whatever that means) and still don't like it -- who gave these people permission to tell those around them how to live.
Incidently, read a little about King James, who "corrected" the Bible. I think "Witch Hunt" fits him perfectly.
I wonder how they would treat a Pagan down there?
Annie in PA
Annie in PA
Evil Thoughts!
We need about 1000 to show up at this!
"A free fish fry for all political candidates with special speaker David Davis will be held August 22, at 6 p.m. at the Bonifay Ag Center."
"Oh" what fun if they where all GLTG, watch all of the bible thumpers freak out!