What the hell texas
satansbed
Posts: 2,139
http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/se ... values_too
The Texas House of Representatives has passed a budget bill that would require any public college with a student center on "alternative" sexuality to provide equal funding to create new centers to promote "traditional values."
While the Senate has yet to adopt a version of the budget bill, the inclusion of the measure in the overall budget bill and the dominance of social conservatives in Texas politics means that the measure could well be enacted. The House vote in favor of the amendment on the campus sexuality centers was 110-24.
Many Texas public colleges -- as is the case at many colleges elsewhere -- have centers within student affairs departments that serve gay and lesbian students. These centers sponsor programming, refer students who need counseling or support groups, and serve as advocates for gay and lesbian students on their campuses.
Representative Wayne Christian, a Republican, proposed the amendment, which would apply to any public colleges with a center "for students focused on gay, lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, transsexual, transgender, gender questioning, or other gender identity issues." According to The Dallas Morning News, lawmakers "cracked jokes and guffawed" during debate, with one representative asking Christian what "pansexual" means. Christian urged the lawmaker to visit the centers at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to find out.
Lawmakers supporting the bill have said that they favor only equal time for all kinds of sexuality.
But the Young Conservatives of Texas, a group that worked with Christian on the legislation, did so with the hope that public colleges would respond to a law, if the bill passes, by ending support for existing centers. Tony McDonald, senior vice chairman of the group and a law student at UT Austin, said in an interview that "we could try to get these groups defunded" in a law, but that the equal funding approach was viewed as more likely to pass (perhaps with the same impact).
McDonald said that he doesn't believe universities should be funding centers on any sexuality or values -- traditional or otherwise. He said that students "who want to promote a homosexual lifestyle" can do so "on their own time and with their own money."
Requiring the creation of traditional values centers would "give the left a taste of its own medicine," he said. He charged that these centers "are encouraging folks who consider themselves homosexuals to go on considering themselves as such. That's the point of the centers, and that's not something Texas taxpayers should spend their money on."
While supporters of the centers have said that they are needed to provide support for students who are in a minority on campus, McDonald said that it is actually traditional students who lack power. "If I were to walk through UT law school with a shirt on that said, 'Homosexuality is immoral,' if I were to do that, there would be an uproar. People would be upset, and it would be considered out of place and not acceptable to do that. I'd probably get a talking to. But if you go through campus to promote homosexuality, that is the norm."
While McDonald said he hoped that, if the bill is enacted, public colleges eliminate existing sexuality centers, he said that there are good programs that could be sponsored by a traditional values center. He said that they might offer programs to encourage chastity or marriage between male and female students, for example.
The budget measure is prompting derision from Texas liberals. A column in The Texas Observer began this way: "Imagine the plight of the heterosexual student stepping on to a college campus for the first time. How will he fit in? Should he tell his new roommate about his alternative hetero lifestyle? Will he be bullied, just like he was in high school, where he was mercilessly teased for being a sexual deviant? Where does a straight person turn?"
While centers in Texas await the outcome of the budget bill, the debate has already accelerated at Texas A&M University, where the leadership of the Student Senate is pushing the university to go on record by saying that it would not increase student fees to create traditional values centers, but would cut the existing Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center in half to finance a new center. In debate over the issue, advocates for traditional values centers said that straight students who may be questioning their sexuality need a center just as much as gay students do. Students said it was important to create "an equal playing field" for those who may disagree with the gay center. (The discussion may be viewed here, starting about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the meeting.)
Lowell Kane, program coordinator for the gay center at Texas A&M, said that he could not comment on the state legislation. But he said it was hard for him to accept the idea that gay students somehow have it better than their straight counterparts because of the center at Texas A&M or elsewhere. He noted that in various surveys of gay students about how welcoming the university is, Texas A&M does not do well.
"I'm sure there are instances where an individual heterosexual person might feel oppressed," he said, and that's wrong. But it's also not the norm, he added. "What we are talking about is the difference between an individual instance and societal homophobia."
"If you walk into any campus classroom or student health services, most of what you find is geared toward a heterosexual population and not a GLBT population," Kane said. Noting the suicide last year of Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers University, Kane said, "I have never heard of any student who took their life because their college roommate outed them as being a heterosexual student."
And turning to comments from students at Texas A&M, he added, "I have never had a student come up and complain that someone comes up and out of the blue calls them a 'hetero' and slapped them, but that happens to my students, who are called 'dyke' and 'fag.' "
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
You think the Christianazis are gonna let that one go easily?
If your last name is Green you are required to be a Democrat.
Not at all...the only value that should be "hammered" is that of ACCEPTANCE. And not limited to sexual preference, but also race, religion...any of the plethora of variables that comprise human identity. There is not enough acceptance of other people in the US anyway, but Texas as a whole (there are plenty of us that are exceptions) but as a whole...Texas is one of the least accepting states of all when it comes to these issues.
Religion is evoked more than anything as the reason for the propagation of NON-acceptance and what is given is a often a ridiculous argument. For example...as a physics and astronomy teacher I have had parents unite and file a formal complaint against me for teaching the big bang. It's even worse for Biology teachers who teach evolution. Mind you that these are part of the required state curriculum. Bill Nye was booed off the stage in Waco because he said that the Moon did not generate its own light...this conflicted with what is said in Genesis and the crowd started shouting "This is Texas and we believe in God here...not in your Science!!!"
I'm keeping my examples to science, but Religion and God are used to justify hatred of everything. It just seems like Texas and the (typical) Texan values have been moving backwards since the 60s...
...waiting for the Texas Inquisition.
but I'll tell ya what my son is about half fillipiano(aprox, 1/3) and if we can play that card we will.
Godfather.
Not sure your age...I went to high school here (88-92) and it was the same as you- we were taught the science and religion was not as domineering of an ideal as it is now. In 2004-05, there was a huge national debate about science vs. creationism brought about by primarily by the teaching of Evolution. Creationists wanted "Intelligent Design" taught alongside Evolution as an scientifically equal theory (which it is not, BTW). Since then science teachers all over the state have to tread lightly around subjects like Evolution and the Big Bang...This is what I mean about us (Texas) going backwards...when I was in school this was not an issue- school was school, home was home, chapel was chapel- not so anymore.
This is not just in science...in social studies, Thomas Jefferson is no longer taught as a "major figure" due to his strong opinions in support of separation of church and state. I would also bet that the revelation many years ago that he fathered children with a slave played a part as well- but I have no proof of that. Historical Minority leaders such as Cesar Chavez and Henry Cisneros were also removed from the required history curriculum last year at the same time all we were hearing about was "Build the Damn Fence"
That being said and like I said in my original post...there are plenty of exceptions with your larger cities having the greatest amount of such exceptions. With Austin being nearly as liberal as Boston or any of the other recognized hot-beds of progressives. There are plenty of good people in Texas, but when assessing on a mass scale...the state is more conservative than 95% of other states and is, IMO, moving in the wrong direction.
I did not mean to paint EVERYONE in the state with the same brush, if that was the way it was taken. I jst look at the evidence and draw my own conclusion.
Peace.
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
No.
Ok, see.. here's the problem...
There seems to be a rather high number of straight, white, Christian people who are lazy whiners.
Oh, it's not enough that they're on top of pretty much every hill... no no.. you also cry like babies when people who aren't like you do something cool.
Gay Pride Day? "We don't have a straight pride day.... how come those people get a day? How come nobody makes one for uuuussssss?"
If you want one... organize one. I mean you account for like 90-95% of the population and you can't get it together enough to find one of you to throw a big street party?
Black History Month? "We don't have a white history month and if we did, those mean coloreds would get all angry at uuuuuuusssss."
Again.. if you want one... be my guest. Although let's face it... every day is white history month. It's the VAST majority of what is taught in school and on TV. Most American folk heros from Johnny Appleseed to Paul Revere to all but one president have been white. Without Black History Month, most people wouldn't know who Sojourner Truth was.
And now you're getting all upset about a Gay and Lesbian center when there isn't a "Straight center." If you want one... nobody is stopping you. But this law FORCES schools to have a "straight center" where I guess... students who are bullied for being straight can go for counseling and straight students who are having trouble meeting other straight students socially can go. And you can all hang out and talk about how current issues are affecting your straight community.
Because you know how hard in America it is to find straight, white, Christian people.
Well Said! Bravo!!
Why are you directing all that at me?
Am I crying like a baby? Am I asking about such things you mentioned? Am I getting upset?
Did I mention anything you just posted?
Seems like you have a complex.....
your whole post is perfect example of your own insecurity's in my opinion, you need to stop pointing fingers...you yourself must have something to hide and what ever it is is your business and I could care less.
Godfather.
Um... ok.
My own "insecurities?"
About what? I'm quite open about being gay... I'm in a gay motorcycle club, a gay community group that raises money for a gay youth homeless shelter and volunteer for a political action group that is campaigning for gay marriage. It's not my responsibility to also make sure there are "straight" motorcycle clubs or "straight" community groups that cater to people who can't be arsed to organize them themselves.
I'm not pointing any fingers at all... but from the post I'm responding to, it's pretty clear that someone is pointing fingers. It's not my responsibility to stand up for your "traditional values."
Your response above is the Limbaugh-like obtuse "I know you are but what am I" type or the Trump-like "you clearly have something to hide" innuendo that you think is going to score you points. It's not.
Are you getting upset?
Yeah, kinda.
If you are upset about "hammering home" what you call "alternative values" (which is pretty insulting... that's just gay and lesbian people standing up for themselves) and that there's nobody standing up for your "traditional values" (that are pretty much written into the constitution), it sounds more like YOU have a complex.
I'm sure that it's a new experience for you to get told off by a gay person like that. But you might have to get used to it.
I'm in a gay motorcycle club ? I have been around a lot of M/C's but never heard of a gay motorcycle club.
"Your response above is the Limbaugh-like obtuse "I know you are but what am I" type or the Trump-like "you clearly have something to hide" innuendo that you think is going to score you points. It's not."[/quote]
Really :? ...hadn't noticed that.
Godfather.
Well then... The Oedipus Motorcycle club has been around since the mid 50s. They're the second-oldest gay motorcycle club in America, second only to the Satyr Motorcycle Club that is 3 years older.
I'm in the Mello Moto club.
There's also the Warriors and the Motochicka clubs here in Los Angeles and I often ride with the Gay sportbike riders of SoCal.
And that's just here. There are literally hundreds of gay riding groups and clubs across the country.
Just keep fighting the good fight for all the oppressed straight people!
God, as a young woman in 2011, I literally feel scared for my LIFE when I walk down the street holding hands with my boyfriend. Straight pride! Straight pride!
Although I must say, all the hammering of the LBGT message on campus has really made me question my sexuality.
thanks !.....got me !
Godfather.
Whatever man, no one is getting upset but reading the above is now making me get upset with you putting words in my mouth and accusing me.
Telling me off for what? What have I done to upset you other than just ask a question?
Whatever, like I give a shit if you will tell me off, go fuck yourself if you are going to have such an attitude.
Get over yourself.
Just go and enjoy your Sons of Anarchy outlaw MC club and leave me alone please.
Thank you.
I will, every day is a fight for straight rights. :roll:
really?
Because it sure sounded to me like you were upset that nobody was out there sending a message for your "traditional values."
Of course... nobody is saying they're not going to hammer home "traditional values."
Trust me, as a married gay man, I've had traditional values hammered into my head since I was a little boy. Do you really feel like your values don't get enough air time?
You made me upset with your posts, venting your anger and insecurities out me and putting words in my mouth.
Don't take your personal problems and the hardships you faced as a young child out on me okay.
Am I guilty that traditional values were hammered into your head since you were a little boy?
Will venting out at me change that?
I don't care that you are gay, no need to beat your chest and parade it.
That is just differentiating yourself, yet you cry of wanting to be treated as an equal.
Make up your mind.
There are gay people out there who are ashamed and embarrassed at how their fellow gay folk act i.e. gay mardi gras parades, flying the rainbow flag etc. and they just want to be seen as equals and live a quiet and normal life without letting everyone know that they are gay, not that they are ashamed, they just don't want to make themselves out as different.