Stacey Campfield and Dewayne Bunch, members of the Tennessee representatives and senate, respectively, have introduced a bill banning public schools with grades K-8 from providing any instruction or materials related to any sexual orientation other than heterosexuality. The bills both state, and I quote, "(c)(1) The general assembly recognizes the sensitivity of certain subjects that are best explained and discussed in the home. ... (2) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no public elementary or middle school shall provide any instruction or materials discussing sexual orientation other than heterosexuality." Great. Good job guys. Let's make sure that kids who are growing up in homophobic families, and are being told that "all them faggots are ruinin' this here country. They're all gonna burn in hell, right where they should be" and the like will have no message of tolerance till at LEAST ninth grade, when most beliefs are already ingrained into them. Yep, way to make already homophobic schools into an even deeper hell for LGBT students. I guess I kind of feel about this the way I do about sex education in schools. If parents would actually talk to their children, and tell them the truth, I'd have no problem with it. The thing is, this is Tennessee. I don't know if you got the memo, but this is a VERY Republican state.
Many parents who actually do talk to their kids about homosexuality are just going to tell them it's wrong, and to stay away from it. That is, if they talk to their kids about it at all. Homophobia is rampant in Tennessee public schools, especially the ones in the eastern part. Kids need to be taught that there are different types of families, and that it's okay. I'm not saying teach a bunch of ten-year-olds what two men or two women do in bed, but just that no matter who is in a relationship with who, they don't deserve to be treated differently. This bill was brought up by Campfield last year, but was quickly shot down. I'm afraid we might not be so lucky this time, with emotions still running high and guards still up over the election.
What can we do about it? If you live in Tennessee, contact your representative. Their job is pretty self explanatory. They're to *represent* the people in their district. Call and give them your opinion on why this bill should not pass. If we don't tell them, how will they know? I'm including the phone numbers and e-mails for both Stacey Campfield and Dewayne Bunch to make it easy for you to go straight to the source, and I'm linking the websites where you can fine the representatives and Tennessee senators for your area. If you don't know your district, each site has a place to enter your address and it will tell you who is over your area. Please call and tell them what you think. We can't let this bill pass.
Stacey Campfield:
(615) 741-2287
rep.stacey.campfield@capit
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