Scools Board member calls students Faggots

[steverino]

Nothing flew over my head. You are clearly and likely purposely reading more into the stated intention of the club in order to foster your own misguided assertions.

Some ground rules:

Definition of homophobia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia is a good enough starting point for me.

Stated purpose of Adam's club: "mission is to promote diversity and confront discrimination and homophobia."

You want to know how Asshat could've been less homophobic? How about not using a hateful epithet to describe a group of people. Indeed, we have no way of knowing if indeed Adam identifies as gay or straight himself - it is a 'Gay-Straight Alliance' which implies that you don't have to be gay to join (although it probably helps.)

Now - you've alleged that you believe this club to be some sort of study of homosexuality in culture, and further made the suggestion that the club is some sort of dating / sex club. Re-read the mission statement of the club. Its not. Point blank.

The VERY FACT that students feel a need to form an 'ALLIANCE' suggests strongly to me that they are feeling abused and/or bullied in their environment. Clearly, they're being abused and/or bullied by the very administrators of the school.

I'm not going to rise to the occasion and suggest that your attitude in your posts implies homophobia - because I suspect you're waiting just for that as some sort of false proof that 'Diversity' is the root of all evils, and that you're really a hip and caring guy with loads of gay friends, and that once again, the PC police are throwing about intolerant labels all willy-nilly. But I will say that your comments about Walt Whitman giving blowjobs and rectal stimulation suggests a certain disconnect, and implies a degree of immaturity.

Thanks for the offer of using your line as a quote, but I find it more asinine than quote-worthy.

Dang. Busted! I WAS hoping you were going to take the bait and accuse me of being homophobic so I could say I was really a hip guy. So, with absolute sincerity I give you credit for your insight into my mindset.

I DID reread the article and I was shocked to realize that the man you refer to as "Asshat" (hmmm, I thought you were in the anti-personal slur camp) did not use the "f" term in front of Adam but rather at a meeting, so in that regared I wish to amp my argument up a notch. The argument being things have gotten too PC-out of hand and his slur has been taken out of context by you pro-PC'ers in this thread.

Regarding my Whitman statement, I would never use the term "b***job" anymore as I have been warned on these threads. That aside, this particular point has gone way over your head. I will try again as it was 2:am or so when I tried before so I blame myself....There are areas of culture some adults who call the shots in high schools do not want in the form of an organization within their walls. My point is that if the kids, regardless of their sexual orientation, want to meet and discuss, they can simply do so at a coffee shop after school hours down the street. The other aspect of my point you did not seem to get is that regardless of homophobia in school, homosexuals who have made a wonderful contribution in the history of our culture should be, and are, celebrated, as should heterosexuals. Were there a ban on that, then, yes, like a ban on black art or Asian culture, this would be an assault that would need settling on school premises, and during school hours.

P.S. Some of the most asinine statements are indeed the most quote-worthy.

 

[Dancing David]

Or maybe there is actually no such medical disease as "homophobia" and maybe Scherfel felt that his high school was a place to learn to read, write, and do math. And maybe by making his feelings overt, as you say, he was simply not intimidated by the do-gooders around him who were afraid to cliarify why a high school club needs to closely examine cunilingus and fellatio. I enjoyed reading The Importance of Being Earnest in high school without the prerequisit of joining a rectal-stimulation club.

Wow, that is off base, you are some sort of comic, but you have limited understanding of what an alliance club might be about.

I am not gay , but was beat up because people thought I was, that is what the clubs are about.

You are funny, but off base.

 

[ChristineR]

Are you blanking joking? I sure as hell hope so. I'm a 43 year old straight woman whose best friend in High School just happened to realize that he was gay. I have many, many times wished that there was such a thing as a gay-straight alliance at my school. Here are some of the topics we would have talked about:

Diffusing violence before it starts.
Why don't teachers intervene in gay-bashing?
How do we convince people gays are human?
Is homosexuality a choice?
If straight kids are allowed to kiss at school, what about gay kids?
What are the options for a teenager whose parents have thrown him out for being gay?

Trust me, sex techniques and orgies would have nothing to do with it. In fact, if an adviser had told us we had to limit ourselves only to school related issues, I'm sure we could have.

 

[Darth Rotor]

If straight kids are allowed to kiss at school, what about gay kids?

There should be no PDA at school, which covers both bases nicely. Period. Plenty of time for that elsewhere.

In my high school (public), 1970's, kids were allowed to smoke out doors (16 was the age for that in those days) but PDA was forbidden. Gently enforced at first "Hey, you two" says a teacher "knock it off." Detention for being an idiot about it on part of student.

In my daughter's current high school, no PDA, though massive amounts of hand holding and hugging, of course, but no smoking, and fer flock's sake, no aspirin in your purse. (Some zealotry anti drug BS.)

Any HS that permits PDA is effed up, IMO. There is a time and place for everything. Spit swapping and school aren't a good fit.

DR

 

[steverino]

Wow, that is off base, you are some sort of comic, but you have limited understanding of what an alliance club might be about.

I am not gay , but was beat up because people thought I was, that is what the clubs are about.

You are funny, but off base.

Thanks for th humor comment. I wish you'd cut me slack as it was 2am last night/this morning and I was having a bit of fun.

I am very sorry you were beat up for appearing gay. As I stated in an earlier post, my gym teacher in JH called me "faggot" a lot because I was passive compared to the other male students. My Junior High years were when my big brother disappeared. It was a terrible time for my identity to shape. I am honestly trying to imagine how you or I would have benefitted from bulley students and crappy gym teachers had such a sensitivity forum existed. Would you have joined as a teen? I just can't picture it at all...I can see a valid forum of "victims of bullies" taking place.

 

[TragicMonkey]

There should be no PDA at school, which covers both bases nicely. Period. Plenty of time for that elsewhere.

In my high school (public), 1970's, kids were allowed to smoke out doors (16 was the age for that in those days) but PDA was forbidden. Gently enforced at first "Hey, you two" says a teacher "knock it off." Detention for being an idiot about it on part of student.

In my daughter's current high school, no PDA, though massive amounts of hand holding and hugging, of course, but no smoking, and fer flock's sake, no aspirin in your purse. (Some zealotry anti drug BS.)

Any HS that permits PDA is effed up, IMO. There is a time and place for everything. Spit swapping and school aren't a good fit.

You don't seem to count hand-holding and hugging as "PDA". Why isn't that banned as well? Is it okay for everybody, or just the straight kids?

 

[Region Rat]

http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17472440&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478569&rfi=6

Board member says
'F-word' about gays
By: Larissa Theodore, Times Staff
11/16/2006

AMBRIDGE - An Ambridge Area School Board member's derogatory remark, made during a public meeting last week and in reference to a new gay and lesbian extracurricular club, had several residents calling for his resignation Wednesday night.



Mary Jo Kehoe of Economy told the board Wednesday she couldn't believe her ears so she jotted down what Ambridge School Board Vice President William Scherfel said when he referred to the high school's new Gay-Straight Alliance group as a "sex club" during a Nov. 8 work session. She said when two board members tried to correct Scherfel's politically-incorrect blunder by telling him the club's formal name, Scherfel replied, "OK, the faggots."

"I personally found it very offensive," Kehoe said.

Adam Smith of Ambridge, the senior who founded the club, also found Scherfel's words distasteful. He said the club's mission is to promote diversity and confront discrimination and homophobia. He invited Scherfel to a club meeting. He also asked for a written apology and Scherfel's resignation.

"It's uncalled for, and it's wrong," Smith said.

Scherfel didn't deny he used "the F-word," but blamed the controversy on politics.
...

OK, that's enough. The "F-word"? Here too? So we're at the point where we can't even say a person said faggot without resorting to this blank-word crap. Oh, sorry, Blank-word C-word. Not that C-word, one of the other C-words. And I thought the F-word was the other F-word. You know, F***, not F*****.

Are we going to re-offend the people who were offended by the guy who said faggot? Or are we afraid we might offend some new folks by saying that a guy said faggot?

 

[steverino]

You don't seem to count hand-holding and hugging as "PDA". Why isn't that banned as well? Is it okay for everybody, or just the straight kids?

C'mere tragicmonkey. Does someone I know need a hug?

 

[steverino]

OK, that's enough. The "F-word"? Here too? So we're at the point where we can't even say a person said faggot without resorting to this blank-word crap. Oh, sorry, Blank-word C-word. Not that C-word, one of the other C-words. And I thought the F-word was the other F-word. You know, F***, not F*****.

Are we going to re-offend the people who were offended by the guy who said faggot? Or are we afraid we might offend some new folks by saying that a guy said faggot?

BINGO! It took me two days and two thousand words to express the point you made. You are "F"ing awesome!

 

[Darth Rotor]

You don't seem to count hand-holding and hugging as "PDA". Why isn't that banned as well? Is it okay for everybody, or just the straight kids?

No, I see PDA as beginning at the face sucking. Hand holding could be banned, depends on the school district. Whatever works.

DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

OK, that's enough. The "F-word"? Here too? So we're at the point where we can't even say a person said faggot without resorting to this blank-word crap. Oh, sorry, Blank-word C-word. Not that C-word, one of the other C-words. And I thought the F-word was the other F-word. You know, F***, not F*****.

Are we going to re-offend the people who were offended by the guy who said faggot? Or are we afraid we might offend some new folks by saying that a guy said faggot?

I thought the new C-word was "cutandrun." D-wordit, man, I just can't keep up with these new conventions.

DR

 

[steverino]

Are you blanking joking? I sure as hell hope so. I'm a 43 year old straight woman whose best friend in High School just happened to realize that he was gay. I have many, many times wished that there was such a thing as a gay-straight alliance at my school. Here are some of the topics we would have talked about:

Diffusing violence before it starts.
Why don't teachers intervene in gay-bashing?
How do we convince people gays are human?
Is homosexuality a choice?
If straight kids are allowed to kiss at school, what about gay kids?
What are the options for a teenager whose parents have thrown him out for being gay?

Trust me, sex techniques and orgies would have nothing to do with it. In fact, if an adviser had told us we had to limit ourselves only to school related issues, I'm sure we could have.

In all seriousness, who would this gay-straight alliance play out as you see it? No synicism, I'm being honest. There would be a classroom and some people who think they are gay or have been picked on as I had at that age would attend. Others who are simply supportive of those who feel singled out would attend. A teacher would attend? The teacher would say this I guarantee, "If anyone gets injured by another student for acting "gay" or what the bully perceives is gay, the student causing the injury will be punished, the same as if that student bullied someone for being black or Asian or Jewish. If a teacher makes a remark that anyone here regards as a slur, that teacher will be confronted, same as if that teacher makes a racial or ethnic slur." Then what? Kids talk about how they feel different inside? How do you see it?

 

[Region Rat]

BINGO! It took me two days and two thousand words to express the point you made. You are "F"ing awesome!

See how this PC crap can lead to confusion? I'm not sure if I should thank you or tell you to go to hell. Which F-word do you mean?


I'll assume thanks.

For future reference, you don't have to say F-word, or F***, or F@&%, you can say frick, or frig, farg (for you Young Guns fans), or frak (for you Battlestar Galactica fans). That turns a deadly insult into a cutesy saying. Isn't language wonderful?

 

[TragicMonkey]

In all seriousness, who would this gay-straight alliance play out as you see it? No synicism, I'm being honest. There would be a classroom and some people who think they are gay or have been picked on as I had at that age would attend. Others who are simply supportive of those who feel singled out would attend. A teacher would attend? The teacher would say this I guarantee, "If anyone gets injured by another student for acting "gay" or what the bully perceives is gay, the student causing the injury will be punished, the same as if that student bullied someone for being black or Asian or Jewish. If a teacher makes a remark that anyone here regards as a slur, that teacher will be confronted, same as if that teacher makes a racial or ethnic slur." Then what? Kids talk about how they feel different inside? How do you see it?

Sheesh. You can only imagine that they'll either discuss sex or how to work the system? Maybe you ought to attend one of these meetings, if you're anywhere near where one is allowed to be held. They might have more important topics to cover, like "don't kill yourself because you're different and so many people hate you for it, possibly including your own parents." That little topic tends to worry teenaged gays, for some reason.

 

[ChristineR]

There should be no PDA at school, which covers both bases nicely. Period. Plenty of time for that elsewhere.

In my high school (public), 1970's, kids were allowed to smoke out doors (16 was the age for that in those days) but PDA was forbidden. Gently enforced at first "Hey, you two" says a teacher "knock it off." Detention for being an idiot about it on part of student.

In my daughter's current high school, no PDA, though massive amounts of hand holding and hugging, of course, but no smoking, and fer flock's sake, no aspirin in your purse. (Some zealotry anti drug BS.)

Any HS that permits PDA is effed up, IMO. There is a time and place for everything. Spit swapping and school aren't a good fit.

DR

At my public high school in the seventies not only was spit swapping allowed, the straight kids regularly went much further than that. Let us say that kids went to third base in the hallways.

 

[ChristineR]

In all seriousness, who would this gay-straight alliance play out as you see it? No synicism, I'm being honest. There would be a classroom and some people who think they are gay or have been picked on as I had at that age would attend. Others who are simply supportive of those who feel singled out would attend. A teacher would attend? The teacher would say this I guarantee, "If anyone gets injured by another student for acting "gay" or what the bully perceives is gay, the student causing the injury will be punished, the same as if that student bullied someone for being black or Asian or Jewish. If a teacher makes a remark that anyone here regards as a slur, that teacher will be confronted, same as if that teacher makes a racial or ethnic slur." Then what? Kids talk about how they feel different inside? How do you see it?

No, the teacher would say "What sort of ideas do you have for forcing the school to enforce the rules?" or "Strictly speaking, the school does not forbid anti-gay harassment, so we have to present it as just plain harassment" or "If Principal Smith denies saying "f--ts deserve to be beaten up" I'm not sure what we can do."

 

[ponderingturtle]

No, I see PDA as beginning at the face sucking. Hand holding could be banned, depends on the school district. Whatever works.

DR

And dances are right out.

 

[steverino]

Sheesh. You can only imagine that they'll either discuss sex or how to work the system? Maybe you ought to attend one of these meetings, if you're anywhere near where one is allowed to be held. They might have more important topics to cover, like "don't kill yourself because you're different and so many people hate you for it, possibly including your own parents." That little topic tends to worry teenaged gays, for some reason.

I SAID: They will most likely discuss how not to be discriminated against. YOU are the one bringing up sex.

 

[steverino]

In all seriousness, who would this gay-straight alliance play out as you see it? No synicism, I'm being honest. There would be a classroom and some people who think they are gay or have been picked on as I had at that age would attend. Others who are simply supportive of those who feel singled out would attend. A teacher would attend? The teacher would say this I guarantee, "If anyone gets injured by another student for acting "gay" or what the bully perceives is gay, the student causing the injury will be punished, the same as if that student bullied someone for being black or Asian or Jewish. If a teacher makes a remark that anyone here regards as a slur, that teacher will be confronted, same as if that teacher makes a racial or ethnic slur." Then what? Kids talk about how they feel different inside? How do you see it?

There is nothing, I MEAN NOTHING about sex in my above post. I resent being told there is.

 

[Darth Rotor]

At my public high school in the seventies not only was spit swapping allowed, the straight kids regularly went much further than that. Let us say that kids went to third base in the hallways.

Well, that is a good case of the sexual revolution spreading where it should not have, and a school district that didn't give a **** . . . since, perhaps, all the board members were wife swapping? (Guessing)

DR