"Awful & targeted" Librarians & teachers concerned

[Lilith7]

This is just beyond awful; surely we'd reached a point where gay & trans people are accepted as a part of the community yet the poison from America appears to be spreading around NZ, courtesy of a group of narrow minded hate filled bigots. 
Its disgraceful that such backward idiocy is being spread here & I hope it can be stopped before it does more harm.


https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educati...eaching-nz



The harassment started after a conversation on the playground, with a group of children arguing about whether it was legal for two men to marry.

“The other kids were arguing with him and saying, ‘no, you're wrong’. They called me over to answer the question,” said Harriet, who asked that her real name not be used because she was an ongoing target.

“It just so happened that I was on lunch duty. It wasn't a question at me because I'm gay. It was just literally a question that kids wanted answered to end the argument,” she said.

Harriet told the children that, in New Zealand, it was legal for two men or two women to get married, and thought nothing more of it.

Then, the emails began.

“They said that I was forcing my views on the children. They didn’t want me to talk about or refer to gayness in any form, at any point. They wanted that ‘disgusting flag’ on the wall taken down,” Harriet said.

It was a rainbow pride flag that had been on Harriet’s classroom wall for years without complaint.
“It was really awful and targeted. Then they started posting on Facebook. Someone came into school and took a photo of my classroom wall and then posted it.”

“They’re saying we’re teaching children inappropriate things. That we’re going into classrooms and grooming children – really awful stuff,” she said.



InsideOUT is used to facing backlash, but Besley said hate comments and emails had risen dramatically since March when anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, visited New Zealand."

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Thank goodness there are teachers out there telling the truth. They balance out the ignorance of some parents, which - after all, is what they are paid to do.

I'd like to know where this teacher's boss was though while this harassment was going on...

[C_T_Russell]

Why is all of this an issue now?
We used to all get on and respect each other but now all of a sudden this whole debate has just been created as a way to divide people.
The solution is simple and thats to leave it up to the parents to educate their kids on the whole matter.
Keep this out of schools.

[king1]

Why is all of this an issue now?
We used to all get on and respect each other but now all of a sudden this whole debate has just been created as a way to divide people.
The solution is simple and thats to leave it up to the parents to educate their kids on the whole matter.
Keep this out of schools.

The reason we have schools is to educate kids in a balanced and unbiased manner.  I feel like leaving it to some parents to educate their kids on the matter would not be a good outcome...

[Lilith7]

Thank goodness there are teachers out there telling the truth. They balance out the ignorance of some parents, which - after all, is what they are paid to do.

I'd like to know where this teacher's boss was though while this harassment was going on...

Yes, this kind of really nasty  nonsense isn't something any teacher or anyone at all should have to put up with, & the boss should have become involved. 

Surely these battles were fought & won over many decades, & now some ignorant bigots want to destroy all that progress which has been made - well, not without a bloody fight they damn well don't; there are too many of us who remember all too well just how difficult things have been for gay people & do not want to see things become as bad again.

---

Why is all of this an issue now?
We used to all get on and respect each other but now all of a sudden this whole debate has just been created as a way to divide people.
The solution is simple and thats to leave it up to the parents to educate their kids on the whole matter.
Keep this out of schools.

"We used to all get on and respect each other but now all of a sudden this whole debate has just been created as a way to divide people."


NO we did not - nothing of the kind in fact. 

 I remember as a teenager being shocked to learn that a friend of the family had been given the sack because he was gay.
And there were instances of people being badly beaten up  just because they happened to be gay.

And that was 'leaving it up to the parents' so clearly that wasn't working too well. And its an 'issue now' because some poisonous bigots apparently want to be able to persecute gays once again.

[Wainuiguy]

If the story is true then the reaction from the parents is pretty OTT.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The trick to thwarting attempts to divide is pretty simple. Don't play.

[TinkandTiff]

This is just beyond awful; surely we'd reached a point where gay & trans people are accepted as a part of the community yet the poison from America appears to be spreading around NZ, courtesy of a group of narrow minded hate filled bigots. 
Its disgraceful that such backward idiocy is being spread here & I hope it can be stopped before it does more harm.


https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educati...eaching-nz



The harassment started after a conversation on the playground, with a group of children arguing about whether it was legal for two men to marry.

“The other kids were arguing with him and saying, ‘no, you're wrong’. They called me over to answer the question,” said Harriet, who asked that her real name not be used because she was an ongoing target.

“It just so happened that I was on lunch duty. It wasn't a question at me because I'm gay. It was just literally a question that kids wanted answered to end the argument,” she said.

Harriet told the children that, in New Zealand, it was legal for two men or two women to get married, and thought nothing more of it.

Then, the emails began.

“They said that I was forcing my views on the children. They didn’t want me to talk about or refer to gayness in any form, at any point. They wanted that ‘disgusting flag’ on the wall taken down,” Harriet said.

It was a rainbow pride flag that had been on Harriet’s classroom wall for years without complaint.
“It was really awful and targeted. Then they started posting on Facebook. Someone came into school and took a photo of my classroom wall and then posted it.”

“They’re saying we’re teaching children inappropriate things. That we’re going into classrooms and grooming children – really awful stuff,” she said.



InsideOUT is used to facing backlash, but Besley said hate comments and emails had risen dramatically since March when anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, visited New Zealand."

That makes me feel sick!  It scares the hell out of me that NZ is starting to follow down the same path as America. I thought we may have had an ounce more intelligence, seems not.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

This is just beyond awful; surely we'd reached a point where gay & trans people are accepted as a part of the community yet the poison from America appears to be spreading around NZ, courtesy of a group of narrow minded hate filled bigots. 
Its disgraceful that such backward idiocy is being spread here & I hope it can be stopped before it does more harm.


https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educati...eaching-nz



The harassment started after a conversation on the playground, with a group of children arguing about whether it was legal for two men to marry.

“The other kids were arguing with him and saying, ‘no, you're wrong’. They called me over to answer the question,” said Harriet, who asked that her real name not be used because she was an ongoing target.

“It just so happened that I was on lunch duty. It wasn't a question at me because I'm gay. It was just literally a question that kids wanted answered to end the argument,” she said.

Harriet told the children that, in New Zealand, it was legal for two men or two women to get married, and thought nothing more of it.

Then, the emails began.

“They said that I was forcing my views on the children. They didn’t want me to talk about or refer to gayness in any form, at any point. They wanted that ‘disgusting flag’ on the wall taken down,” Harriet said.

It was a rainbow pride flag that had been on Harriet’s classroom wall for years without complaint.
“It was really awful and targeted. Then they started posting on Facebook. Someone came into school and took a photo of my classroom wall and then posted it.”

“They’re saying we’re teaching children inappropriate things. That we’re going into classrooms and grooming children – really awful stuff,” she said.



InsideOUT is used to facing backlash, but Besley said hate comments and emails had risen dramatically since March when anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, visited New Zealand."

That makes me feel sick!  It scares the hell out of me that NZ is starting to follow down the same path as America. I thought we may have had an ounce more intelligence, seems not.

We do.

These people are very much a minority.

[Lilith7]

That makes me feel sick!  It scares the hell out of me that NZ is starting to follow down the same path as America. I thought we may have had an ounce more intelligence, seems not.

We do.

These people are very much a minority.

They may be loud, but there are only a few who hold such bizarre views. Still, in these times we all should know far better; perhaps we need better education.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

All social change is slow. Perhaps in a couple more generations we will see less cruelty.

[R2x1]

Well, the temperature outside this morning shows no sign of the cruelty abating . . .

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Well, the temperature outside this morning shows no sign of the cruelty abating . . .

I'd be happy if the rain just stopped for a few hours so I can get out and about. I quite like my own company, but I haven't actually spoken to real people - not counting you figments of my imagination - for days. I need to get on the scoot and go grin like a loon at a few strangers!

[Kenj]

Well, the temperature outside this morning shows no sign of the cruelty abating . . .

I'd be happy if the rain just stopped for a few hours so I can get out and about. I quite like my own company, but I haven't actually spoken to real people - not counting you figments of my imagination - for days. I need to get on the scoot and go grin like a loon at a few strangers!

Unfortunately, no one will see you. We the elderly, especially those on scooters, wheelchairs et al, are invisible to the masses.

[R2x1]

No trouble finding a few hours of rain-free time; it just takes a few days to accumulate them. Real people encounters - that's a novel idea. My memory is not what it used to be I'm told, but I vaguely recall "real people". I don't recall how we interacted, but I don't think wires were involved a lot of the time. Must have been Bluetooth - or was it Wifi?
Being new at the scoot business, I don't try grinning at people while I'm out on the microTesla, just catching a few toes takes all my concentration. Getting old toes and new sneakers in one pass leads to interesting conversations with people you'd never meet otherwise.

[Lilith7]

No trouble finding a few hours of rain-free time; it just takes a few days to accumulate them.  Real people encounters - that's a novel idea. My memory is not what it used to be I'm told, but I vaguely recall "real people". I don't recall how we interacted, but I don't think wires were involved a lot of the time. Must have been Bluetooth - or was it Wifi?
Being new at the scoot business, I don't try grinning at people while I'm out on the microTesla, just catching a few toes takes all my concentration. Getting old toes and new sneakers in one pass leads to interesting conversations with people you'd never meet otherwise.

Nothing fun or worthwhile is ever easy, alas. 
Perhaps you could make a sort of grim reaper scythe with a shorter reach on it & hack at toes as you pass by..?

[Agent_24]

The reason we have schools is to educate kids in a balanced and unbiased manner.  I feel like leaving it to some parents to educate their kids on the matter would not be a good outcome...

That should be the reason we have schools, but I don't think it's the actual reason.