Hello all. Wanted to share this piece of good news with everyone. It's actually great news. Charlotte, NC has finally adopted an Anti Bullying Policy
Our public school system in Charlotte NC has been wrestling for months now on whether or not to adopt an "Anti Bullying Policy". This sounds like a no-brainer, right? Wrong. Guess who was against it. That's right, the republicans.
Christian conservatives urged the board not to, voicing concerns that the policy will promote homosexuality.
But after more than two hours of impassioned arguments from more than 40 speakers, the board approved the policy on a 6-3 vote. Kaye McGarry, Ken Gjertsen and Larry Gavreau opposed it.
McGarry, Gjertsen and Gavreau are all republicans.
Here's the portion of the policy that offended these 3 assholes:
It is the policy of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education to maintain learning environments that are free from harassment or bullying. This freedom includes ...freedom from harassment or bullying based on an individual's real or perceived race, color, sex, religion, creed, political belief, age, national origin, linguistic or language differences, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socioeconomic status, height, weight, physical characteristics, marital status, parental status, or physical, mental, or sensory disability. ...
It shall be a violation of this policy for any student, teacher, administrator, other school personnel, or any third party ... to harass or bully any person based upon any differences of status including, but not limited to, those listed above. It shall also be a violation of this policy for any teacher, administrator or other school personnel to tolerate such harassment or bullying. ...
The reupublicans of course objected to the language that proteced gays and lesbians. Apparently because the republicans want their kids to still be able to harrass and beat up gays and lesbians.
Another idiotic republican supporter, grasping at straws, put up this asinine last minute argument against the policy:
But the policy's specific protection of sexual orientation and "gender identity/expression" drew opposition from critics like Ante Pavkovic, who quoted the Bible and questioned what teachers will tell children about gender identity.
"If a boy walks around saying he's a girl, is he going to be allowed to go into the girls bathroom?" he asked during a public hearing before the vote. "We can't countenance this. This is foolishness."
That's right, this lunatic now believes that since this policy has been adopted, we now have to allow boys to use the girls bathrooms if they choose.
Here's why the policy is needed:
Sharon Walker, a counselor at Providence High, said that in a student survey of the campus earlier this year, more than 80 percent of respondents said they heard anti-gay slurs several times a day.
"One of the biggest concerns I hear from students is that the anti-gay bullying is happening right in front of teachers," she said. The teachers "say they are afraid of being accused of promoting a pro-gay agenda if they intervene."
Eighty percent of respondents to that survey heard anti gay comments several times per day. Actually sounds low to me. These students obviously aren't paying attention. And neither is Counselor Walker. Good loving teachers are not afraid of being accused of promoting a pro-gay agenda if they stop bullies. Good loving teachers will stop a bully every time.
Charlotte needs this policy because too many of our teachers are republicans and they have been allowing gays and lesbians to be the victims of bullies. That's the truth of it.
I'm glad the policy has finally, after months and months, been adopted.
To hell with the republicans and their hateful anti gay agenda.