Thursday, April 11, 2013

Anti-Gay Groups Promote Truancy

Each year, I'm always amused by Team Anti-Gay's over-the-top opposition to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network's Day of Silence. This event's mission is to bring "attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools," which students can choose to participate in by taking a vow of silence for a day.

A "who's who" group of various anti-gay hate groups and organizations are promoting their own "Day of Silence Walkout," claiming:
 "This year [the Day of Silence] will take place in most public schools on April 19, 2013. On this day, thousands of public high schools and increasing numbers of middle schools will allow students to remain silent throughout an entire day – even during instructional time – to promote GLSEN's socio-political goals and its controversial, unproven, and destructive theories on the nature and morality of homosexuality.

Parents must actively oppose this hijacking of the classroom for political purposes."
Non-violent resistance must truly be threatening to these groups if they have to frame students passively remaining silent as something that's as active and violent as "hijacking" a classroom.

And, I contend that the Day of Silence is so threatening to these groups precisely because, its very nature - LGBT allies being silent - makes it incredibly difficult for anti-gay groups and individuals to turn themselves into persecuted victims of gay bullies. It simply fails to fulfill the Christian prophecy wherein some people believe that to be called a bigot is all part of the torture they have to endure on account of their religious beliefs. 

I'll also note that these groups seem to hate it when LGBT allies speak, and they hate it when we're silent. Which of course begs the over-riding question that's so rarely answered (other than the obvious, what the hell kind of Team Moral Authority is anti- anti-bullying programs??), what exactly is the place of LGBT people in a society, to these groups? 

Where, specifically, do the LGBT folks and the same-sex couples belong in the ideal world of those who oppose LGBT rights and same-sex marriage? In a heterosexual relationship? In "reparative therapy"? In a same-sex "civil union" that's Definitely Not Marriage? Where? Anywhere?


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