4 ms·

It is absolutely unclear. A teacher shouldn't have to risk legal action by saying "Timmy's parents are both men who love each other, and that's okay." This bil

It is absolutely unclear. A teacher shouldn't have to risk legal action by saying "Timmy's parents are both men who love each other, and that's okay." This bill introduces that risk because the teacher doesn't know who is going to decide what is age appropriate. A parent could decide it was inappropriate and initiate a suit. Will that happen often? No, but what teacher is going to risk it? It's very difficult to find a reason that the wording "age appropriate or developmentally appropriate" is so vague, expect that the bill's intent is to silence the subject as much as possible.

_-david-_ 5y ago
A teacher shouldn't be gossiping about another student's home life regardless of their age. I hope this bill bans that!
- srveale 5y ago
  1. Acknowledging that a married-with-children couple is gay is "gossip?" 2. You want to ban gossip? Both of those are nonsense. And neither address my point. The bill is vague on purpose, and the purpose is to scare teachers into silence.
  - _-david-_ 5y ago
    I addressed your main point which is that a teacher should be able to talk about another student's home life. You said: >A teacher shouldn't have to risk legal action by saying "Timmy's parents are both men who love each other, and that's okay." If a teacher is telling other students about Timmy's home life that is very much gossip. The other students have no reason or right to know what Timmy's home situation is. If Timmy wants to tell other students about his situation he can. The teacher should not be doing that. Would you hold the same standard if a teacher said Timmy only has one parent if one of his parents died? It is gossip and the teacher should not be talking to other students about it.
    - srveale 5y ago
      The fact that you're comparing homosexuality to a death in the family really drives this home, doesn't it? If someone is okay with being out (like a married-with-children couple) then it's okay to acknowledge they are gay. Just like saying Timmy's dad is a doctor is okay. A teacher shouldn't risk legal action for saying so.
      - _-david-_ 5y ago
        I used the example of a dead parent because death is something that many young people do not really understand (do any of us?). They may never have experienced the death of a family member or friend. This is similar to how many young people don't understand homosexuality. The fact you think I am trying to say homosexuality is the same as death is quite telling isn't it? I don't care if somebody is OK with being out. It is not the place of a teacher to tell other students the home life of another student. I don't think a teacher should tell other students what the profession of a student's parents are either. There is no reason for a teacher to do this.
        srveale 5y ago
        > The fact you think I am trying to say homosexuality is the same as death is quite telling isn't it? I didn't say that. I said you compared them. You did so again in this comment, again putting them on the same level as taboo discussion subjects for children, which is just plain wrong. The fact that people of the same gender can love each other is not hard to understand, it's really quite simple to explain, but your last comment attempted to make it sound difficult to explain, seemingly to justify speaking in hushed tones about it or not at all if children are nearby, as if you were talking about their deceased parent. But it's an easy-to-understand, neutral subject, so your point is invalid. And really? One kid tells another kid that his dad is an architect, the second kid asks the teacher to explain what the first kid's dad does. And the teacher says "No, I can't talk about anyone's parents." That's what you're going with? This isn't necessarily about a student's parents anyway. That's just one example of where a child might be triggered to ask about it. Kids are curious, they will ask, and with this new legislation teachers will avoid it as if the kid asked about death. And when something gets treated as if it's taboo, it becomes taboo.

_-david-_ 5y ago

A teacher shouldn't be gossiping about another student's home life regardless of their age. I hope this bill bans that!

srveale 5y ago
1. Acknowledging that a married-with-children couple is gay is "gossip?" 2. You want to ban gossip? Both of those are nonsense. And neither address my point. The bill is vague on purpose, and the purpose is to scare teachers into silence.
- _-david-_ 5y ago
  I addressed your main point which is that a teacher should be able to talk about another student's home life. You said: >A teacher shouldn't have to risk legal action by saying "Timmy's parents are both men who love each other, and that's okay." If a teacher is telling other students about Timmy's home life that is very much gossip. The other students have no reason or right to know what Timmy's home situation is. If Timmy wants to tell other students about his situation he can. The teacher should not be doing that. Would you hold the same standard if a teacher said Timmy only has one parent if one of his parents died? It is gossip and the teacher should not be talking to other students about it.
  - srveale 5y ago
    The fact that you're comparing homosexuality to a death in the family really drives this home, doesn't it? If someone is okay with being out (like a married-with-children couple) then it's okay to acknowledge they are gay. Just like saying Timmy's dad is a doctor is okay. A teacher shouldn't risk legal action for saying so.
    - _-david-_ 5y ago
      I used the example of a dead parent because death is something that many young people do not really understand (do any of us?). They may never have experienced the death of a family member or friend. This is similar to how many young people don't understand homosexuality. The fact you think I am trying to say homosexuality is the same as death is quite telling isn't it? I don't care if somebody is OK with being out. It is not the place of a teacher to tell other students the home life of another student. I don't think a teacher should tell other students what the profession of a student's parents are either. There is no reason for a teacher to do this.
      - srveale 5y ago
        > The fact you think I am trying to say homosexuality is the same as death is quite telling isn't it? I didn't say that. I said you compared them. You did so again in this comment, again putting them on the same level as taboo discussion subjects for children, which is just plain wrong. The fact that people of the same gender can love each other is not hard to understand, it's really quite simple to explain, but your last comment attempted to make it sound difficult to explain, seemingly to justify speaking in hushed tones about it or not at all if children are nearby, as if you were talking about their deceased parent. But it's an easy-to-understand, neutral subject, so your point is invalid. And really? One kid tells another kid that his dad is an architect, the second kid asks the teacher to explain what the first kid's dad does. And the teacher says "No, I can't talk about anyone's parents." That's what you're going with? This isn't necessarily about a student's parents anyway. That's just one example of where a child might be triggered to ask about it. Kids are curious, they will ask, and with this new legislation teachers will avoid it as if the kid asked about death. And when something gets treated as if it's taboo, it becomes taboo.