Gay group's school workshop on bullying assailed by some parents

[Ian David]

School board still supporting program
SWANTON, Vt. (AP) | Feb 23, 3:02 PM

Plans for a high school workshop by a gay advocacy group are getting a lot of scrutiny in the northwestern corner of the state.

A conservative radio talk show host has criticized Mississquoi Valley Union High School officials for allowing the two-day series of panel discussions with a group dedicated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. It's scheduled for next month.

Paul Beaudry — host of radio shows on WRSA in St. Albans and WDEV in Waterbury — has called for the invitation to the group Outright Vermont to be revoked. That group wants to discuss ways to combat bullying and violence.

"I don't think this should be in the schools. If you go to their Web site, they're all about recruiting children into the homosexual lifestyle," said Beaudry, whose child attends the school.

The upcoming workshops were one of the subjects of a School Board meeting Thursday, which drew a crowd of about 75 that was nearly evenly divided between supporters and opponents. Neither the school board nor the superintendent indicated the workshops would be canceled.

Several parents questioned the nature of Outright Vermont's work. They said they worried the group's message conflicted with many families' Christian beliefs.


"I know the gays have their rights, but what about the other children?" asked Tammy Rowell, a parent from Highgate. "There's got to be some other way."

<snip>

The school sent letters to students' families in preparation for the workshops offering to let students stay home. The same arrangements were made at Williston Central School last year when there were similar complaints.

More:
http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=11573

[One_Life_To_Give]

1. Can't let the bullying be stopped!

Gotta keep all them Queers in line by beating the crap out of them!
:sarcasm:


Anybody got some vallium?

[Hav]

2. .

"they're all about recruiting children into the homosexual lifestyle"

Lol, these freaks are stupid...So I went to their website and he's right, it made me gay!

[mzteris]

3. what's wrong with that guy?

Doesn't he want those high school kids to get new toasters??????


****
“That’s so Gay:” Addressing anti-gay bullying at school.
A workshop that connects everyone in the room to the cycle of bullying and most importantly how and why we all need to be part of stopping it. Using recent legislation here in Vermont, we help students, teachers and administrators identify concrete ways to address & stop bullying in their schools.


Yeah - that sounds really threatening, doesn't it?

[Scooter24]

4. Let the parents know they have been warned...

just in case little junior decides to be "christian-like" towards his fellow man.

Ignorance of the bullying policy is no excuse for their behavior if the parents wish to shelter them from these workshops.

[bumblebee1]

5. How much would like to make a bet

that some of these bullies come from some of the finest Christian families in town. Of course, these folks are the first ones to say, "Not my son. He's a fine upstanding Christian youth."

I recall reading a letter written by a Vermont mother of a gay son. I don't recall her name.

[foreigncorrespondent]

6. What an idiot that Tammy Rowell is!

I know the gays have their rights

What rights would those be? Oh I'm sorry, I forget we have the right to sit on the back of the bus. The right to breath air. The right to drink water. The right to eat bread. But that's about it, right?