SC teacher compares gay-inclusive curriculum to witchcraft, pedophilia

South Carolina teacher Ira Thomas is a main reason why South Carolina has such a nasty reputation for being a backwards state.

Quite recently, he has been on religious right radio programs denouncing the National Education Association's gay-inclusive curriculum. Apparently he claims to have made a show out of objecting to it at the NEA's recent convention in Atlanta and is now going "on tour" talking about how he stood up against the so-called gay agenda.

Last week on one radio show, he compared gay-inclusive school curriculum to teaching children how to smoke crack. Over the weekend, he attempted to outdo this awful slander on another religious right radio show, hosted by Linda Harvey.

Harvey, who once advised parents to not allow their children to be seen by gay or lesbian physicians, gave Thomas carte blanche to just say some of the most awful things about NEA's gay-inclusive curriculum:

Transcript:

Thomas: There was another item about showing a video and I can’t remember what video but it was something dealing with the gay and lesbian [sic], but after sitting through several of those I decided it was time to let the voice be heard instead of sitting by and saying nothing.

 Harvey: So what did you eventually say?

Thomas: In short I told them as a person I do not have a right to discriminate, but by the same token they do not have a right to disseminate what I consider to be harmful material to children. I do not have a right to tell them what to choose but they also do not have a right to choose a curriculum for me that I feel is biblically wrong. It’s like with prayer, it’s not right for me to put my Christian beliefs on anybody, it is right for me to share the Gospel, but even Christ gave us the choice. If we’re going to go there then the next thing we know we’re going to have everybody forcing things on us in school that we don’t believe in from witchcraft to even the molestation from children. …

Thomas: I don’t want to take this analogy too far but the best one I can think of is the incident that happened at Penn State. So many people knew what was going wrong but no one spoke out for whatever reason. Even with this, we can believe it in our heart but if we don’t ever speak out we are allowing things to go and to keep going on and on. 

While Thomas has a right to his personal beliefs and I certainly don't want this situation to end up with him playing the martyr, I have to call him out on his self-righteous, sanctimonious tone.  Never have I heard such blatant ignorance wrapped up in false piety.

What's even worse is that he makes the decision that this curriculum is dangerous to children based upon his own personal religious beliefs. Thomas doesn't have that right.  And based upon his words, he certainly doesn't have that knowledge.

Lgbt-inclusive curriculum is not harmful to children. That's a common sense fact, just like the fact that Thomas and others in the teaching profession will be, if they have not already, encountering lgbt students whose very lives may depend upon that curriculum, which lets them know that they are perfectly normal being who they are.

What's dangerous in situations like this are teachers like Thomas who are willing to potentially sacrifice the lives of our lgbt children based on their own personal ignorance and ego.

Huge hat tip to Right Wing Watch for providing the material for this post.

'Hate crime vandalism caught on video' and other Monday midday news briefs

Hate Crime Against New Orleans Gay Activists Caught on Surveillance Video: WATCH - Committing an act of homophobic vandalism and you get caught on tape doing it. Well that was just . . . stupid. 
 

How to protect gay workers - The Washington Post calls out President Obama for not signing an executive order protecting LGBT employees of federal contractors from discrimination.  

Young conservative leader should condemn FRC's reckless rhetoric; this is me telling him as much - Members of the religious right attempt to match words with Jeremy Hooper at their own peril.

'Skyfall' Actor Ben Whishaw Officially Comes Out As Gay, Reveals He Is Married - FINALLY, my gay ray hits someone good. Now I have to work on that "I'm gay but hopelessly attracted to Alvin McEwen" ray.

Oh horrors! Pediatricians should recognize same-sex families

The right-wing publication LifeSite News seems to be all up in arms over the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics has said that pediatricians should recognize that they treat children in same-sex households and thus should do more to encourage a more accepting environment.

According to the AAP, homosexuality “should not be considered abnormal.” While the organization acknowledges that “LGBTQ” teens as a whole engage in riskier behaviors and report higher rates of substance abuse, promiscuity, depression, self-harm, and even teen pregnancy, they blame that on “the presence of stigma from homophobia and heterosexism,” which “often leads to psychological distress [and] an increase in risk behaviors.”

As a result, the organization says doctors should make every effort to eliminate heterosexism in their practices.

Heterosexism is defined as “the societal expectation that heterosexuality is the expected norm and that, somehow, LGBTQ individuals are abnormal.” The AAP calls heterosexism “insidious and damaging.”

 . . .  Additionally, the AAP recommends pediatricians take an active role in promoting acceptance of homosexual behavior in their schools and communities.

“Pediatricians should support or create gay-straight alliances at schools,” the guidelines state, “and support the development and enforcement of zero-tolerance policies for homophobic teasing, bullying, harassment, and violence.”

The group also recommends physicians keep a list of homosexual advocacy groups and their websites handy to give to children who express confusion about their sexuality.

The organization recommends doctors display brochures and images featuring same-sex couples as well as straight ones, and affix rainbow decals throughout their offices to show they embrace homosexuality.

Believe it or not, other than a wannabe salacious headline, Pediatricians should decorate office with pictures of gay couples: Medical group, the article doesn't condemn the AAP for this very logical and seemingly uncontroversial step of treating all of their patients equally.

Lifesite News leaves those leaving comments to do the dirty work:

SO TRUE! What is going on in America, dear God save them! If a child says she/he is having sex, the doctor should ask with a male or female or both???? WHAT IS THIS??? I pray that this homosexual lifestyle does not set root in my country. I and my family will NOT tolerate it.

Displaying pictures of dismembered infants would be honest, and that's not allowed. Why not have posters on the wall explaining the HIV infection rate among gay men as compared to heterosexual couples. why not also explain about the short term open relationships, promiscuity and sexual addiction that is rampant in homosexual couples!

This will certainly go a long way in disarming children when they are approached by a homosexual. If sodomy is normal, what's abnormal?

 This is their master plan, to capture as many children as possible for their cause. If you are a parent and are not actively combating this recruitment, you are risking the sacrifice of your child on their homosexual altar.

I guess when you have ready made sheep, you can put anything in front of them to tear apart.

'Black conservative summit aims to fight lgbt equality' and other Friday midday news briefs

Fischer: Gay Activists Should Support Russia's Anti-Gay Laws In The Name Of Diversity - Oh yeah. Support getting your ass kicked and being imprisoned simply for your sexual orientation "in the name of diversity." I don't think science has discovered the species of hate which embodies Fischer's psyche.  

Black Conservative Summit boasts multiple speakers who blame Satan for gays, LGBT rights - Apparently there is going to be a "black conservative summit" addressing ways to fight lgbt equality starring the usual cast of characters of anti-gay black activists. First item on the agenda - "how to get more money from these white religious right groups who's paying us to do this shit." 

California Catholic School Fires Gay Teacher For Marrying Partner - Obviously they are angry at him for breaking the "lonely, struggling with his faith and will never get a man" gay guy stereotype.  

“Purposeful Misinformation”: How Right-Wing Media Are Smearing San Antonio’s Proposed Anti-Discrimination Ordinance - A deliberate attempt to lie about an anti-discrimination ordinance. Sad but typical.  

Same-Sex Couple Visa Applications Will Receive Equal Treatment - Finally, let's end today's news briefs with some good news regarding same-sex couples and VISA applications.

Rhode Island same-sex couples line up to get married

Yesterday, I featured gay couples in Minnesota who got married. It's only fair that I show gay couples in Rhode Island who also were able to get married. From Buzzfeed comes the following image:

This is John Gacher and Federico Santi of Newport , R.I. and apparently they have been together for 41 years before finally being able to "make it legal." Don't tell the religious right, thought. It would just ruin their day.

Then again . .  .

Why I LOVE those anti-gay activists from France

Is it wrong for me to start enjoying it every time La Manif Pour Tous, the anti-gay group in France, stages yet another protest against marriage equality:

According to the Huffington Post:

The anti-gay equality activists, calling themselves La Manif Pour Tous, are well-known for their blatantly homoerotic protests, the irony of which is surely lost in a haze of fervent bigotry. But hey, if these Frenchmen want to strip down, run around with each other in boats and climb poles on top of mountains, who are we to stop them?

The group of men began these protests following France's legalization of gay marriage last April, leading to a violent backlash among citizens who were unhappy with the legislation. Apparently, some people just choose to express their hatred of gay marriage in a less violent, more naked form of protest. And sometimes, they like to be gagged.

Oh why can't all anti-gay protestors be like this? 

'Religious right attempting to spoil marriage equality in Rhode Island, Minnesota' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Conservatives Hope Marriage Discrimination Persists In Rhode Island And Minnesota - You really don't expect them to let us enjoy our day, do you? They simply have to get over it. They kept saying "let the people vote." The people voted. Marriage equality won. End of story.

Tony Perkins: 'It'd be a lot simpler if we operated on the Ten Commandments' rather than civil law - So Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is expressing a desire for a theocracy. Why am I not surprised. Well at least I'm with him on the 10th commandment. I would NEVER "covet" Tony Perkins' "ass."  

Bipartisan Campaign Launched to Pass Employment Non-Discrimination Act - I totally support this but I've said it once and I will say it again. Without a plan to combat the lies about ENDA head on, it's going to be an UGLY campaign.  

Bryan Fischer: Post-DADT Military "Emasculated, Neutered, Feminized, And Weakened Beyond Repair" - Bryan Fischer ought to know because he is presently serving in the military, right?