Tenn.'s 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Back and It Could Out Students to Their Parents

[Fearless]

Like a homophobic phoenix, the "Don’t Say Gay" bill has risen from the ashes to "protect the youth of Tennessee" — and it includes a provision requiring teachers out gay students to their parents.

Tennessee state senator Stacey Campfield has reintroduced his infamous legislation that would prohibit schools from discussing homosexuality in sex education classes until after the eighth grade (even though schools in Tennessee do not teach sex ed before the eighth grade).
After dying in the House two years ago, the bill, now called the Classroom Protection Act, is back with additions such as “certain subjects are particularly sensitive and are, therefore, best explained and discussed within the home,” and “at grade levels pre-K through eight (pre-K-8), any such classroom instruction, course materials or other informational resources that are inconsistent with natural human reproduction shall be classified as inappropriate for the intended student audience and, therefore, shall be prohibited.” That will likely bar any teacher from even suggesting homosexuality exists.

The bill also now states that when a student approaches a teacher or counselor and confides in them that they may be gay, it is the teacher or counselor’s responsibility to tell the student’s parents.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/01/30/tenns-dont-say-gay-bill-back-and-it-could-out-students-their-parents

---------------------

And TN's teen homelessness rate explodes. But don't worry everyone, the bigots are doing this for the greater good!

[William769]

1. My alma mater is UT Knoxville

This does not surprise me in the least.

& yes I still root for the VOLS!

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. In the old days, teachers would have told these morons to fuck off.

But with the systematic weakening of job protections, tenure, academic freedom etc. ... aided and abetted most spectacularly by the Obama administration, BTW... teachers have as much say over ed policy as a Walmart cashier has over front office contracts w. the Chinese gov't re. sweatshops.

Not coincidentally....Walmart is HUGE in corporate school "reform", btw.

Tennessee has long been on the "cutting edge" of anti-teacher school "reform". As time goes on...and as schools are further "reformed" ( i.e. de-unionized) we're going to see lots more of this ( "Like a homophobic phoenix, the "Don’t Say Gay" bill has risen from the ashes to "protect the youth of Tennessee" — and it includes a provision requiring teachers out gay students to their parents.&quot all over the country.