LGBT Day of Silence -April 19th-will your child participate?

[Allegra]

It’s a moot point here, because the statute is gone in our state and was reported going out in the other two states that had it. Nevertheless, in *Cooper v. Eugene School District *(1986), the Supreme Court of Oregon upheld the law against a First Amendment challenge from a Sikh school teacher. The Pennsylvania law was also upheld in the courts. Apparently the reasoning or the jurists was that it furthered the states’ goal of ensuring neutrality with respect to religion in the schools.

States, school districts, and individual schools are not neutral, however, on where they choose to enforce “neutrality.” If the sentiment of policymakers is that a certain attitude needs to be changed among the youth, then “free speech” and “openness” and “dialogue” are the words of the day. If the sentiment is that a certain attitude needs to be protected from challenge, then the effort is to close all mouths on all sides in order to protect the school’s “neutrality”. When that is the way the matter is handled, it is not always easy to mount a legal protest.

I would add that the head “policymakers” in question are an elected school board that the community has complete control over selecting. Anyone who doesn’t like what is going on in their school district (whether they use it or not) ought to trouble themselves to get down to the school board meeting and see what’s what. Any citizen can run for the school board and it is a comparatively easy race to run it. (You don’t have to be independently wealthy.) The public school system effects the value of one’s home and the people who want to move into and invest into the community. People should not just complain about it when it is extremely accessible to get personally involved in the process.

 

[gam197]

originally posted by Allegra
would add that the head “policymakers” in question are an elected school board that the community has complete control over selecting. Anyone who doesn’t like what is going on in their school district (whether they use it or not) ought to trouble themselves to get down to the school board meeting and see what’s what. Any citizen can run for the school board and it is a comparatively easy race to run it. (You don’t have to be independently wealthy.) The public school system effects the value of one’s home and the people who want to move into and invest into the community. People should not just complain about it when it is extremely accessible to get personally involved in the process.

Many parents simply do not have the time to go to meetings so when someone says well if you don’t like this, run and become this, it really seems as only a way to shut them up. At least that is how many busy parents take it yet parents are suppose to be the heads of their family - not the school and certainly not the village. This idea of a teacher taking a stand for gay rights bothers me because many teachers have such an influence on students.

 

[Oh_Charlotte]

I saw an email earlier this week from my district’s high school principal saying that the LGT club is asking everyone to wear all black plus a rainbow accessory this day… We are a rather conservative and very academic-oriented district (also very international) but the LG issue is always vogue I guess. But I was relieved today in the middle school (where i work) not to see anyone in this get-up.

 

[buffalo]

No - they will not participate.

 

[gam197]

Teachers wore rainbow ribbons. (8000 schools)

I wonder what would happen if teachers wore two tiny feet.

 

[buffalo]

Teachers wore rainbow ribbons. (8000 schools)

I wonder what would happen if teachers wore two tiny feet.

How about a cross? Seems to me religion is to be left out of schools, except the new state religion aka secularism.

 

[aspirant]

I confused. Can teachers participate and if so how do they teach.

You must have missed this earlier in the thread:
"Day of Silence FAQ:

You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day.

How about a cross?

Where I’m from, at least, teachers may and usually do wear religious jewelry in the classroom.

 

[gam197]

Originally Posted by Day of Silence FAQ
You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day.

Thanks aspirant - what troubles me is that the teachers can wear their rainbow ribbons all day and then participate during non-instructional time which makes it appear that they are really involved with this event.

I have not heard of this kind of participation on the day when students participate against abortion. In fact, I’ve seen where students were told to take their pro-life shirts and turn them inside out.

If they can use the walls for literature, pro-life students should be able to do so also.

 

[aspirant]

what troubles me is that the teachers can wear their rainbow ribbons all day and then participate during non-instructional time which makes it appear that they are really involved with this event.

Participation is itself involvement. Or do you mean something else?

I have not heard of this kind of participation on the day when students participate against abortion.

I would guess that varies from teacher to teacher, depending on their personal views.

If they can use the walls for literature, pro-life students should be able to do so also.

I would guess that whether and what students are allowed to post items on walls probably varies from state to state, district to district, or school to school. I don’t work in a school, so I can’t say.

 

[Allegra]

Many parents simply do not have the time to go to meetings so when someone says well if you don’t like this, run and become this, it really seems as only a way to shut them up. At least that is how many busy parents take it yet parents are suppose to be the heads of their family - not the school and certainly not the village. This idea of a teacher taking a stand for gay rights bothers me because many teachers have such an influence on students.

Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day as everyone else. The people who want to promote gay rights obviously found the time to make a bimonthly meeting. I’m not telling anyone to shut up. I’m telling people to speak out.

 

[gam197]

original posted by Allegra
Everyone has the same 24 hours in the day as everyone else. The people who want to promote gay rights obviously found the time to make a bimonthly meeting. I’m not telling anyone to shut up. I’m telling people to speak out.

You are right and that is why their day is in 8000 schools and considered a major success by the gay community because they are actively involved in their own agenda.

I am just saying it is tough to take a school position where you may or may not be called to even address pro-life. I too hope that people will be able to do these same things on pro-life day but I agree that as pro-lifers we have little in this kind of organization. Our energy is used at clinics and at the March for Life when our schools and young are where influence is important.

IOriginally Posted by gam197
I have not heard of this kind of participation on the day when students participate against abortion.
reponse - originally posted** by aspirant**
I would guess that varies from teacher to teacher, depending on their personal views

This makes me wonder if teachers are afraid to say they are pro-life as it is a taboo in community.
The pro-life event doesn’t seem anywhere in size as the gay “silent” event in the schools.

 

[gam197]

Last year this lawsuit was settled and pro-life students are allowed to hang posters.

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a civil rights action in February against the Dixon R-1 School District after Dixon High School officials removed posters promoting the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity last October. The same school allowed promotion of the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network’s “Day of Silence” and other political messages…

The complaint states that “J.A.,” a female high school senior, had been granted permission to hang posters advertising the pro-life solidarity event, but soon discovered a teacher taking one of them down. The teen reposted the advertisement, but within a few hours, all the posters had vanished. She later learned from the superintendent that school officials had thrown them out…

ADF dismissed the suit last week after the school district revised its policies and agreed to allow students to post religious and pro-life material with other materials at designated locations.

lifesitenews.com/news/missouri-high-school-backs-down-from-ban-on-pro-life-posters/

Pro-life Day is OCTOBER 15th 2013

silentday.org/faq.php

 

[Corki]

Last year this lawsuit was settled and pro-life students are allowed to hang posters.

lifesitenews.com/news/missouri-high-school-backs-down-from-ban-on-pro-life-posters/

Pro-life Day is OCTOBER 15th 2013

silentday.org/faq.php

According to what you posted, the case wasn’t settled, it was dismissed. This changed nothing for students in other schools or other states.

 

[gam197]

originally posted** by Corki**
According to what you posted, the case wasn’t settled, it was dismissed. This changed nothing for students in other schools or other states.

So each student will have to take this on their own - first the principal and then the courts while the gay students have a strong backing. Let this happen at a school and it would be all over that it was gay bashing.

Case after case against pro-life students.

Another 2007 case in PA.

**"The U.S. Supreme Court made that clear in the Tinker v. Des Moines ruling nearly 40 years ago,” **Bowman added. “We are pleased Sarah will now be entitled to the same privileges enjoyed by other individuals and groups on campus.”

Last October, Hollen obtained permission to distribute fliers from her assistant principal, but later Sarah’s principal told her to stop, asserting that the message was controversial and “might start a fight.”

The principal also told Hollen that she must also remove a piece of tape from her mouth that read, “Ask Me Why I’m Not Talking,” even if she put it on outside of the classroom. That was despite the fact that the school had allowed similar expression by other students.

and New Jersey

CAMDEN, N.J., April 28, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) — A federal court ruled Thursday that the Bridgeton Board of Education should not have prohibited a student at Bridgeton High School from expressing a religious viewpoint on the 6th annual Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity.

PRO-LIFE DAY IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15,2013

 

[gam197]

Wednesday, March 23, 2013

…

The university funded the advocacy of other student organizations but singled out Students for Life for exclusion based purely upon its viewpoint.”…

In February, Students for Life at Eastern Michigan University applied for student fee funding to host a pro-life display on campus…

The lawsuit, Students for Life at Eastern Michigan University v. Parker, notes that EMU officials have been inconsistent with their funding guidelines and have allocated the same funds to political and ideological speech discussing “welfare rights, women’s and abortion rights, student activist training, and race-conscious issues, just to name a few.”

adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/8060

Same at colleges, shut down speech !

 

[pnewton]

Usually the teacher has a rule that if she finds out that one student revealed what another said there are consequences.

Interesting. I have a rule that is diametrically opposed to that rule. When any adult tells you that you have to keep quiet about anything, especially one in authority, then that is when you need to tell your parents. You are to never keep secrets like this, especially about sex. This teachers rule is the same tact taken by sexually predators. If she was as informed any Catholic volunteer who has undergone sex abuse awareness training, she would know this. Her rule is one of the major warning signs of a sexual predator.

If I was barred from looking into this classroom as a parent, then I would be having the police or child welfare attend to the matter. I would not make a good public school parent.

 

[Allegra]

Interesting. I have a rule that is diametrically opposed to that rule. When any adult tells you that you have to keep quiet about anything, especially one in authority, then that is when you need to tell your parents. You are to never keep secrets like this, especially about sex. This teachers rule is the same tact taken by sexually predators. If she was as informed any Catholic volunteer who has undergone sex abuse awareness training, she would know this. Her rule is one of the major warning signs of a sexual predator.

If I was barred from looking into this classroom as a parent, then I would be having the police or child welfare attend to the matter. I would not make a good public school parent.

As I said before, rules like, “nothing said here leaves the room” are for therapy sessions, not classrooms. Information taught in class is supposed to be useful for the students in the real world, not someone’s personal experiences that really shouldn’t be aired in public. If the classroom is discussing something that can’t leave the room, then they’ve crossed the boundary into therapy and the counselor should be present and the parents should be required to give written consent. No one needs such rules in order to learn the biology of how their body works.

 

[EasterJoy]

As I said before, rules like, “nothing said here leaves the room” are for therapy sessions, not classrooms. Information taught in class is supposed to be useful for the students in the real world, not someone’s personal experiences that really shouldn’t be aired in public. If the classroom is discussing something that can’t leave the room, then they’ve crossed the boundary into therapy and the counselor should be present and the parents should be required to give written consent. No one needs such rules in order to learn the biology of how their body works.

This is absolutely true. In spite of the temptation to think otherwise, teachers are not qualified nor (more importantly) authorized to act as psychologists, counselors, or therapists. Students have the right to tell their parents (or anyone else they choose to tell) what is being said in their classrooms, and teachers do not have the authority to guarantee to anyone that a conversation will not leave the classroom. Also important, teachers do not enjoy the legal immunities given to ministers, attorneys, doctors, and licensed therapists who can legally accept and protect confidential communications from clients when they are acting in their professional capacity. Students should not be lead to believe otherwise! This is particularly true of students who are old enough to be tried as adults. What is a teacher going to have to do, for instance, if a student relates illegal behavior during a class discussion on sexuality, such as sexual activity with a 12 year old, or someone they got drunk in order to preclude refusal of their advances? The teacher is a mandatory reporter! They are going to be forced to break the trust that they falsely created!

If a teacher were to punish a student for honestly and fairly relating what was said in a classroom discussion, that teacher would have also crossed a line. They don’t have the authority to require that, and they should not imply that they do. They would undoubtedly be risking being disciplined themselves, if they did.

 

[gam197]

originally posted by EasterJoy
This is absolutely true. In spite of the temptation to think otherwise, teachers are not qualified nor (more importantly) authorized to act as psychologists, counselors, or therapists. Students have the right to tell their parents (or anyone else they choose to tell) what is being said in their classrooms, and teachers do not have the authority to guarantee to anyone that a conversation will not leave the classroom. Also important, teachers do not enjoy the legal immunities given to ministers, attorneys, doctors, and licensed therapists who can legally accept and protect confidential communications from clients when they are acting in their professional capacity. Students should not be lead to believe otherwise! This is particularly true of students who are old enough to be tried as adults. What is a teacher going to have to do, for instance, if a student relates illegal behavior during a class discussion on sexuality, such as sexual activity with a 12 year old, or someone they got drunk in order to preclude refusal of their advances? The teacher is a mandatory reporter! They are going to be forced to break the trust that they falsely created!

If a teacher were to punish a student for honestly and fairly relating what was said in a classroom discussion, that teacher would have also crossed a line. They don’t have the authority to require that, and they should not imply that they do. They would undoubtedly be risking being disciplined themselves, if they did.

Why have the schools been able to give out pills, etc to girls. It seems on one hand they have to report and on the other they give out medications without parental consent?

 

[Allegra]

Why have the schools been able to give out pills, etc to girls. It seems on one hand they have to report and on the other they give out medications without parental consent?

I hope it is understood that this is actually somewhat of an urban legend. 99.9999% of schools do NOT give out BC pills without parental permission. In fact, 99.9999% of school do NOT give out BC pills at all. In the vast majority of schools, a girl can’t even get IB Profin for her cramps without a phone call to mom.