The novel, “The Misfits”, is about bunch of middle school kids — one of whom is gay — who get sick of the name calling and taunting at school, decide to run for student council on a platform of putting and end to the nasty name calling that happens in schools. Well that novel has given birth to a “No Name Calling Week” at many schools across our Nation, and it’s endorsed by the Girl Scouts, the NEA, and many other associations of secondary and elementary school principals. However, some neo-conservative groups have called for getting rid of tolerance in schools, saying it “promotes the homosexual agenda”. What a crock.
This is exactly why Republicans don’t have the support of virtually any minority group. If it’s not straight, white, and Christian, it shouldn’t be allowed.
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Conservative Groups Denounce Tolerance Week In Schools
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: January 24, 2005 11:02 am. ET
(New York City) “No Name-Calling Week” began today at middle schools across the country with conservative groups denouncing it as an “excuse to advance the homosexual agenda”.
The week, which was created two years ago by Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, seeks to promote tolerance of all minorities.
But, groups like Concerned Women for America says schools that embrace the program are treading on dangerous water.
“I hope schools will realize it’s less an exercise in tolerance than a platform for liberal groups to promote their pan-sexual agenda,” said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America’s Culture and Family Institute.
“Schools should be steering kids away from identifying as gay,” Knight told the Associated Press. “You can teach civility to kids and tell them every child is valued without conveying the message that failure to accept homosexuality as normal is a sign of bigotry.”
This year’s “No Name-Calling Week” draws its inspiration from a teen novel “The Misfits” which deals with four much-taunted middle schoolers – one of them gay – who run for the student council on a platform advocating an end to nasty name-calling.
GLSEN worked with “Misfits” out author James Howe to develop a program for schools.
“Gay students aren’t the only kids targeted – this isn’t about special rights for them,” Howe said. “But the fact is that ‘faggot’ is probably the most common insult at schools.”
Last month, an Iowa school board banned “The Misfits” from classrooms following complaints from some parents (story) and a number of schools, mainly in ‘red’ states have refused to recognize “No Name-Calling Week”.
GLSEN said Monday that it is uncertain of the exact number of schools that will participate in this week’s event, but that 5,100 educators from 36 states have registered, up from 4,000 last year.
“No Name-Calling Week” has the endorsement of the Girl Scouts, the national associations of elementary and secondary school principals, and the National Education Association.
“People who would criticize this, regardless of who came out with it, are people with bad hearts,” said Jerald Newberry, who directs the NEA’s health information network.
Recent studies have shown that LGBT students face a greater risk of harassment than other students (story) and a survey released earlier this month indicates that 95 percent of the nation’s schools have little or no gay, lesbian or bisexual resources in their counseling services and only one percent have transgender resource. (story)
GLSEN executive director Kevin Jennings said that schools need to do more than hold a one-week event to draw attention to bullying.
“Every week should be ‘No Name-Calling Week’, but having one week at least raises the visibility of the issue,” Jennings said.
©365Gay.com 2005