Hot on HuffPost Parents:
Find Out What Beyonce Will Name Baby No. 2!
Teen Who Died During Her First Solo Drive May Have Been Texting
Florida school board bans sex clubs on campus
Filed under: Gay Parenting, Medical Conditions, In The News, Day Care & Education
I'm not exactly sure what goes on at a meeting of a Gay-Straight Alliance club, but I'm pretty sure they're not donning pretty frocks and rushing in to back rooms to have sex. More likely, students discuss issues such as how "to make their school community safe and welcoming to all students regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." As for the whole sex thing, I can tell you that high school students don't need to join a club for that. It just comes naturally.
Unfortunately, the Okeechobee County School Board in Florida doesn't quite get that. In a move designed to prevent the Gay-Straight Alliance of Okeechobee High School from meeting on school grounds, the board voted to ban any club that is "sex-based or based upon any sexual grouping, orientation or activity of any kind."
The stated intent, of course, is to exclude groups that challenge the district's policy of abstinence-only education, but given that the board is in the middle of a lawsuit over whether or not the GSA should be allowed to meet on campus, I don't think there is any doubt as to what prompted the ban. The school district is claiming that the GSA is a "sex-based" club and therefore should not be allowed to meet at the school. Students, the ACLU, and, so far, one judge disagree.
The point of the club is to combat homophobia, discrimination, and intolerance, not to promote or encourage sexual activity. There are those that will say that there are no clubs whose purpose is to promote tolerance of heterosexuality, so there shouldn't have to allow the GSA. The difference, however, is that rarely does anyone ever get beaten or killed for being straight. There are also clubs whose purpose is to promote abstinence -- they are certainly more "sex-based" than the GSA. Hopefully, the courts will make the right decision and force the school district to do the right thing.
Unfortunately, the Okeechobee County School Board in Florida doesn't quite get that. In a move designed to prevent the Gay-Straight Alliance of Okeechobee High School from meeting on school grounds, the board voted to ban any club that is "sex-based or based upon any sexual grouping, orientation or activity of any kind."
The stated intent, of course, is to exclude groups that challenge the district's policy of abstinence-only education, but given that the board is in the middle of a lawsuit over whether or not the GSA should be allowed to meet on campus, I don't think there is any doubt as to what prompted the ban. The school district is claiming that the GSA is a "sex-based" club and therefore should not be allowed to meet at the school. Students, the ACLU, and, so far, one judge disagree.
The point of the club is to combat homophobia, discrimination, and intolerance, not to promote or encourage sexual activity. There are those that will say that there are no clubs whose purpose is to promote tolerance of heterosexuality, so there shouldn't have to allow the GSA. The difference, however, is that rarely does anyone ever get beaten or killed for being straight. There are also clubs whose purpose is to promote abstinence -- they are certainly more "sex-based" than the GSA. Hopefully, the courts will make the right decision and force the school district to do the right thing.
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
- Do people ever get a civil trial this is too many dismissals with out a response from defendants
- . two ways to lose property's selling or debt ( debt property is sold to pay debt) the debt has to be proved) court managing property?
- Does the dc superior court represent the irs in a civil filing or does the irs have attorneys?
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
How to Start a Club at School
Have you ever wanted to get good at school life for kids. Well look no further than this advice video on How To Form A Club At School. Follow Videojug's experts as they steer you through this tutorial.
-
Middle School Fight Club Videos Surface on YouTube
Osceola officers are keeping an eye on local middle schools after videos of an apparent fight club, showing brutal activity, were posted online.
-
Pre-School Music Club
Learn about Jo Jingles, the Leading pre-school music and singing club with an educational slant.
-
Glee Cap: 'Glee' School Shooting Episode
The Glee club preps for Regionals, but instead faces a grim reality in the most emotional episode ever. Thanks for checking out ClevverMusic's Glee Cap, a recap of the episode "Shooting Star". Unlike most 'Glee' episodes, this one started with a warning on the screen about the school depicting school related violence.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
11-16-2007 @ 11:12AM
Ann Adams said...Can they do that? I thought it was all clubs or no clubs. Period.
Reply
11-16-2007 @ 1:31PM
roger.sinasohn said...The article says "According to the Equal Access Act, if a public school allows one extracurricular club to meet on campus, it must allow all clubs to meet."
So I would imagine that discrimination based on gender/orientation would be illegal (not to mention wrong), but I've been saying that for decades and still people can't get married.
As for "sex-based", I would imagine that clubs that engage in illegal activities (and actual sex, or sharing adult materials with teens is probably illegal) would be excluded. But, as I said, I don't think that's what this group does.
Reply
11-16-2007 @ 1:51PM
mamacheryl said...There's a school district in my area that banned all extracurricular clubs that weren't school sponsored from meeting on school grounds because they didn't want to allow a Gay-Straight Alliance from meeting after school. I was there in protest when they voted. It was awful to hear such blatant bigotry. Some concerned citizens were likening it to allowing a beastiality club on campus.
I was president of a Gay-Straight Alliance in college. We don't have sex or talk about sex at the meetings. It's more like a support group for dealing with intolerance. We talked about GLBT issues, but more as it relates to politics and health than sex.
Cheryl at http://redpens-diapers.blogspot.com
Reply
11-16-2007 @ 2:45PM
Ann Adams said...GSA is all about getting to know each other and dispel misconceptions.
We finally have our first GSA at one of the local high schools with mixed results. After the initial controversy, there were no problems but the last I heard all the members were straight. The GLBT kids were frightened to show up.
That was a few months ago and possibly a few have come out of the closet by now. At least we have it up and running. It's a start.
Reply