Growing Prejudice?

[fredv3b]

I become fearful at times that any progress currently being made will be undone. How does one fight prejudice that is so deeply engrained in people?

I have to say that the stories you point out strike me as nothing new, seem to have been reading similar stories for years. Certainly some progress will be undone and have to be redone, that's in the nature of change. In how many people is 'prejudice so deeply engrained'? I don't know the answer, but I do know it's falling. Eighteen year old kids, even from strongly conservative families, by a clear majority are pretty liberal with regards to homosexuality. That's the main reason why our opponents are so worried about the long term, their core supporters are failing to reproduce.

[Cardiganwearer]

There may be cause for optimism from these stories, if you're that way inclined. Thirty years or more ago the christian right were none too fussed about homosexuality, mainly because it was all but invisible. They're wetting their pants now because of what's been achieved since then.

I'm hoping it'll be hard to turn the clock back, but just in case it isn't we need to continue with the struggle.

[jbrowder24]

That's the main reason why our opponents are so worried about the long term, their core supporters are failing to reproduce.

I wouldn't be too sure of that, at least in the U.S.. Homeschooling is on the rise here and while some is legitimate concerns with parents teaching well-rounded lessons, my encounters with a few that homeschool / were homeschooled have also shown me that a least a few of these parents have definitely incorporated political messages and religion into their home lesson plans.

Before the recession, the ranks of homeschool students had been growing by an estimated 8% annually; the latest federal figures, from 2007, calculate the total at about 1.5 million.

While some families are giving up because of a stay-at-home parent's need to get a job, the recession overall will likely be a further boost to homeschooling, according to parents and educators interviewed by The Associated Press.

'We're going to see continued growth," said Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute in Salem, Oregon. "The reasons parents home-educate are not passing, faddish things."

Families keep homeschooling despite tough times - USATODAY.com

Oh, and the whole "Constitutional" movement in the U.S. is also dangerous in my opinion. These people would argue gays and women have less rights due to what the founding fathers intended without regard to changing times (mass transportation, mass communication, technology advances in everything from entertainment to weapons, etc). Yet it's also a growing movement.

[fredv3b]

I wouldn't be too sure of that, at least in the U.S.. Homeschooling is on the rise here and while some is legitimate concerns with parents teaching well-rounded lessons, my encounters with a few that homeschool / were homeschooled have also shown me that a least a few of these parents have definitely incorporated political messages and religion into their home lesson plans.

How many kids are actually home-schooled? I would have guessed a large proportion of parents that home-school are very strict conservatives to begin with, whose kids would be unlikely to turn out 'pro-gay' even in a public school anyway.

The constitutional movement may be growing, but while it argues for fewer rights for half the electorate, I wouldn't worry.

[matty7]

if i take a back seat and look at the impact of these groups then for me personally i dont seen them as a threat - if you watch tv now...they have many openly out gay hosts,, the kids at school now pretty much all know (i can speak for uk only) about been gay or straight and they dont consider it at all as far as i can see - this is the generation that matter to push gay rights forward - these hard core christians will always bee there,,but they are the minority - they are vocal but have little impact

[OrphanPip]

I think a decent case for far right reactionism being on the rise can be made. The far right is more mainstream than it has been in several decades. There are also those troubling instances of American religious groups funding and supporting increasing crackdowns on gay rights in Africa. And the recent removal of sexual orientation from the UN human rights declaration show that there is plenty of work to do.

Most of the world's population lives in countries where gays are heavily persecuted. We have made small victories in the West, and that's good, but we have to keep fighting.

In my short lifetime I've seen a gay leader of the opposition in Quebec and the legalization of gay marriage and adoption rights. I feel confident in saying that prejudice is not on the rise in Quebec, but I know that's not true of everywhere.

[Beaux]

the polarization of right wing fanatics is a response to the more homosexual accepting mores of the population as a whole. look at it as wiplash. the motto of the gay/lesbian rights movement could very well be "2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back". Over all acceptance of LBTG issues has gained considerable momentum since I was young. Fanatics will always be outspoken but the best defense to their retoric is to VOTE and to push for other young people to vote. Old notions die hard, and old notion holders die harder.

[jbrowder24]

Students at a high school in Illinois are allowed to wear t-shirts which read 'Be Happy, Not Gay', according to a US court.

Pupils of Nequa Valley High School in Naperville can wear the apparel as part of their right to free speech, the jury ruled – even though they were designed as a counter-protest to same-sex equality demonstrations.

The decision comes in the same week that the US Supreme Court upheld Westboro Baptist Church's right to picket military funerals in protest of gay equality.

Indian Prairie School District 204 Superintendent Kathy Birkett told The Chicago Tribune.

"School administrators work diligently to make sure the school environment feels safe so all students can focus on learning," she said. "As educators, we believe derogatory speech is a distraction that can prevent students from achieving their best."

The case was brought by a legal group that defends Christian causes.

"It sets a precedent that students, Christians or otherwise, who have speech that may not be the politically correct speech, may not be the most popular speech, (can) feel free to express their views just like anyone else," Alliance Defense Fund counsel Nate Kellum told the Tribune.

T-shirt saying 'Be Happy, Not Gay' is inoffensive, US court rules - PinkPaper.com

[jbrowder24]

Wanted to make sure I posted this that I saw last week while the board was down:

Attendees at the Awakening conference for social conservatives this past weekend suggested that their fight begins with changing the terms of debate, namely, swapping the word “gay” for alternatives including “sodomy” and “anti-Christian.”

Sofia Resnick of The American Independent reports on the conference held at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., where one session focused on finding another term for “gay.” Panelists included Ryan Sorba, chairman of the Young Conservatives of California; Greg Quinlan, president of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays; and Liberty University dean Matt Barber.

Sorba said, “‘Gay’ is a left-wing sociopolitical construct designed to create grounds for fundamental rights [based on] whimsical capricious desires. Gay identity does not exist.”

The American Independent reports that Sorba proposed alternatives to the word “gay” that received unanimous approval from the 40 audience members. His suggestions included the words “same-sex attraction,” “same-sex intercourse,” “sodomy,” and “unnatural vice.” Later it was suggested that gays should be referred to as “anti-Christian."

Conservatives Declare War on "Gay" | News | The Advocate

[fredv3b]

Fighting the march of the gay agenda with new words sounds to me like they have run out of arguments.