more from South Carolina

[E.J.]

S.C. schools mull legal way to ban GSAs

LINK

A South Carolina school district has delayed until later in the month a vote on whether to ban all student clubs that don't relate to academics or sports as a way to close a gay student organization.

Vice chairman Robert Gantt said Monday the Lexington-Richland School District 5 board was delaying its vote on whether to ban the clubs to get more public input.

Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker said last month he would step down at the end of the next school year because the Gay-Straight Alliance conflicts with his beliefs and religious convictions.

Officials had said the district couldn't stop the alliance from forming because federal law prohibits discriminating against a club based on its purpose.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network says there are about 4,000 gay-straight alliances at schools nationwide, including 16 in South Carolina. (AP)

Copyright 2008 Associated Press

[Tanuki Racoon]

Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker said last month he would step down at the end of the next school year because the Gay-Straight Alliance conflicts with his beliefs and religious convictions.

Would calling Eddie Walker a fucktard be in violation of this board's standards?

[Nickolas James]

I have no problem with what he's doing, as long as he also includes all other groups and extra curricular clubs while he's at it. That should include telling the boy scouts that they cannot wear their uniforms at school.

[DesDownunder]

Would calling Eddie Walker a fucktard be in violation of this board's standards?

Not if it is expressed as your opinion, in my opinion.

[Tanuki Racoon]

Not if it is expressed as your opinion, in my opinion.

In that case, it is my strong opinion that he is, indeed, a fucktard.

Thank you.

[Graeme]

I have no problem with what he's doing, as long as he also includes all other groups and extra curricular clubs while he's at it. That should include telling the boy scouts that they cannot wear their uniforms at school.

I agree with Nick. If they do, they'll get sued, I'm sure, because it will mean banning the religious clubs, too.

My only problem was why there's an exemption for sporting clubs. Allowing academic clubs makes sense, since this IS a school. But sporting clubs?

Of course, there's a simple way around the ban -- just form the GSA Bowling club....

[Cole Parker]

Or a GSA football team. If they can play football, all of a sudden they'd be heroes, and no one in SC would even consider banning them.

C

[JamesSavik]

This ban would also exclude religious fanatic clubs?? It might just be worth it.

[Tanuki Racoon]

Or a GSA football team. If they can play football, all of a sudden they'd be heroes, and no one in SC would even consider banning them.

Oh, AWESOME idea.

The Pink Flamingoes Football Team.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

Queers and Beers. ::rofl::

[E.J.]

My only problem was why there's an exemption for sporting clubs. Allowing academic clubs makes sense, since this IS a school. But sporting clubs?

They allow "sporting clubs" because that will allow groups like The Fellowship of Christian Athletes to continue meeting on campus.

[Trab]

The obvious answer would be to form The Fellowship of Gay Athletes.

[Fun Tails]

How about we make being gay into a sport?

We could even keep score with gayness points.

[Trab]

Yes. PLAY BALL. Who will score first? Pitcher, catcher, long hard drives, getting to first base...Oh man, what have you started?

[DesDownunder]

Tennis, anyone?

Love, all.

Nice racquet...

I like your shorts, are they see-through when wet?

[The Pecman]

How about we make being gay into a sport?

It is already, at least in West Hollywood. [ba-DUM-dum]

These self-righteous religious nuts make me crazy. When I think of the tremendous problems the U.S. has right now, the fact that these people worry about gay kids in high school forming a club, or gay marriage, is totally insane. There's gotta be at least 9000 things more important out there than either one.

[Tanuki Racoon]

How about we make being gay into a sport?

It already is. Are you a pitcher or catcher? :)

[aj]

Hmmm....who would I want on my team? A real powerhouse player, like TR? Maybe a multipurpose player like lugnutz (who could play on the team AND fix the bus should it break down while traveling to or from away games)? I'm going to have to think about this a bit...

cheers!

aj

[Cole Parker]

Perhaps you'd have to identify the switch-hitters first.

C

[Fun Tails]

All I know is I'm going to go the rest of my life with an announcer by my side and whenever I score he has to yell, 'Goooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllll!!!!!!!!!!'

[JamesSavik]

I want to be a talent scout.

[E.J.]

getting back on topic.....

SC School Begrudgingly Allows Gay Club

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

LINK

(Irmo, South Carolina) A high school whose principal announced he would resign rather than allow a gay student club to meet on campus will gets its club after all.

Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker said last month he would quit at the end of the next school year because the group conflicts with his beliefs and religious convictions.

The resignation announcement sparked a fury of controversy in the community and led to demands by parents that the Gay-Straight Alliance be officially barred from organizing.

Faced with the threat of a lawsuit in support of the gay students the Lexington-Richland School District 5 school board considered a proposal to ban all extra-curricular clubs.

Instead, the board now has voted to allow clubs, but to give parents the right to decide which clubs their children can join. The board also voted to prohibit clubs from discussing sexually explicit topics in keeping with the district?s abstinence-based curriculum.

A study released by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in 2006 showed that homophobia is widespread in the nation's schools.

Nearly one-in-five students reported they had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and over a tenth because of their gender expression.

Three-quarters of students surveyed said that over the past year they heard derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school, and nearly nine out of ten reported hearing "that's so gay" or "you're so gay" - meaning stupid or worthless - frequently or often.

Over a third of students said they experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and more than a quarter on the basis of their gender expression.

The study also showed that bullying has had a negative impact on learning.

?365Gay.com 2008