Friday, March 04, 2005

News updates:Cleveland Georgia Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)

Georgia continues to make the United States look bad, as many bigots and close minded people are protesting the formation of a high school Gay Straight Alliance club, now known as PRIDE (Peers Rising in Diverse Education). There have been two new news stories recently printed.

Gay club ignites controversy in North Georgia town

...“We’re not taking away the GSA. We thought people wouldn’t be so quick to judge if it was named PRIDE, but this is 100 percent a GSA,” Kerry Pacer, 16, said just hours before the school board meeting, which became a heated public forum on the club.

...“I am not for gay bashing and I prefer people be treated with respect … but people need to understand our moral issues,” Fowler said.

...“I’d rather we not have any clubs at all,” he said. “These kids are condemned to hell and I’d like to see them saved.”

Written By: Dyana Bagby

Georgia bill ignores school ‘fear factor’

...We were there to testify against Senate Bill 149, a proposal by state Sen. Nancy Schaefer (R-Turnersville) to require parental permission for students to participate in extra curricular activities. The bill was introduced in direct response to the student club organized by gay and straight students at a White County high school.

...Gay and lesbian students nationally are at least three times more likely to attempt suicide; five times more likely to miss school out of fear for their safety; five times more likely to be threatened with a weapon at school; and six times more likely to be physically assaulted.

...Although Schaffer claims her proposal is a “common sense” bill, it is far from it. The bill ignores the fear factor gay students experience while expanding the power of the state by adding an administrative hurdle to student participation in clubs.

Written By: Edward Gray

For more about these stories go to Georgia School's Gay Pride Effort Hits Hurdles or White county Georgia Controversey in Gay PRIDE.

If you want to try to make a difference Email Principal Dorsey of White County High

1 comment:

SunGrooveTheory said...

What the hell?? Who protests a high school club?? I understand there are folk who think being gay is a "sin" or whatever but jeeze, folks, it aint contagious... That's amazing!! Thanks for the tip, I'll try to get my two-cents in with that school superintendent.

Crachet?? What on earth? That was odd.. Don't give him comments after that?