Note to Katalusis readers: I just received this email message from Change.org regarding the policy of a local school district in Minn. on homosexuality. What do you think? If you agree that this policy of “neutrality” has contributed to the suicide deaths of five students in the Anoka-Hennepin school district, post a comment and follow the link below to sign the petition.
In July of last year, 15-year-old Justin Aaberg took his own life after being bullied for being gay.
Four other suicides over the last year in the same school district, Anoka-Hennepin, were also linked to “a pervasive atmosphere of anti-gay hostility.”
It’s hard to imagine a school environment so toxic to lesbian and gay youth that it could lead five students to take their own lives -- until hearing about Anoka-Hennepin's district-wide “neutrality” policy on homosexuality, which allows anti-gay bullying to go virtually unchecked.
In this 40,000-student school district, the “neutrality” policy bans faculty and staff from discussing sexual orientation or recognizing homosexuality -- effectively a “gag” rule that officially marginalizes gay students and licenses bullying.
That’s why national anti-bullying advocate Shannon Cuttle has started a Change.org petition calling on the Anoka-Hennepin School District Superintendent to re-evaluate this policy that’s harming Minnesota’s youth.
Shannon’s petition comes at a critical time. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights will meet with Anoka-Hennepin about repealing the policy this week. Public outcry will boost their efforts -- and could affect the meeting's outcome.
Petition signer Baiba Olinger, who taught at Anoka-Hennepin district schools for 33 years, said, “I feel we have gone backwards in our policy towards LGBT students. How can ‘being neutral’ work? Can I be ‘neutral’ on someone being female or black?”
Right now, administrators and faculty are standing by as students are bullied and even beaten. One teen dropped out after being attacked and called a “faggot” in front of teachers and classmates who did nothing to intervene.
Gay youth are left with the choice of attending school under miserable conditions or leaving – and some are becoming so depressed they take their own lives, as Justin Aaberg did.
Justin’s mother says, "I had no clue that in a school they would have a climate like this and be okay with it.”
Tell Anoka-Hennepin that Minnesotans aren't okay with the “neutrality” policy that's harming gay youth across the district by adding your name to Shannon’s Change.org petition:
Thanks for taking action,
Patrick and the Change.org team
No comments:
Post a Comment