Rebranding Homophobia
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 Boys Art and Entertainment LGBT+ RSOL Politics Science, Technology, Health Current events Deaths by Staff Writer - March 7, 2022
In many states, counties, and cities across the United states, new and unjust laws intended to inflict hardship and constraint targeting sexual and gender minority school children are being enacted. Homophobic adults absolutely have not adopted a more excepting attitude towards gay people and gay youth, they have rebranded and re-targeted those who are most vulnerable and least able to mount a defense. In Florida as House Bill 1557 (AKA: The “Don’t Say Gay” bill") inches closer to becoming law, an openly gay Flagler Palm Coast High School junior Jack Petocz who helped organize protests against House Bill 1557 was indefinitely suspended from school, which the spokesperson for the Flagler school referred to as, an "excused administrative leave". This was done under the pretext that he "was disrespectful and openly advocating against staff". The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) has not been immune from attack. GSA is a student club that provides a safe space for LGBTQ students to learn about who they are and get a break from the bullying that is rampant in many schools. Several student groups have had to fight legal battles in court in order to form chapters or continue to meet. In Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott is demanding the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigate parents who support their transgender children and allow them access to gender affirming medical care prescribed by their doctors. Recently, the Texas department of health and human services removed it's suicide prevention resources for LGBT+ youth from its website. As of January 2022, 10 states have enact restrictions effectively preventing transgender students from participating in interscholastic sports teams that align with their gender identity. Several states have similar legislation pending. In the last two years, numerous school districts in many states but particularly in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida have been banning books for gay and transgender youth. In some places, even the public libraries are being forced to remove books with "gay content" and the librarians threatened with legal consequences for failing to comply. Along with the same old rhetoric and clichés in using derogatory buzzwords like words "lifestyle", "choice" when referring to LGBTQ youth, schools that attempt to support their sexual and gender minority students are being accused of being, "laboratories of social engineering". This is a very divisive tactic that says little or nothing about it's true meaning, while at the same time sounding frightening and leaving parents of school children to reach the worst possible conclusion. While the term social engineering has a different meanings depending if it's being used in the context of information security, the general meaning is, "the use of centralized planning in an attempt to manage social change and regulate the future development and behavior of a society." When politicians and others talk about schools as laboratories of social engineering, what they are really talking about is the schools attempting to stop bullying and create a more inclusive environment. What parents hear is, "they are trying to turn our kids gay." It is surprising that in 2022 just how many people (including some boylovers) still believe that sexual orientation and gender identity is a choice. This is really the crux of the issue. Along with just basic homophobia, many parents of school children erroneously believe that their children can be convinced or recruited into becoming gay or transgendered. There is also fear and confusion as well as lack of understanding among parents as young people become more sexually sophisticated then the previous generation in their knowledge of their own sexuality and come to understand that most people are not exclusively heterosexual, they are predominantly heterosexual. This is also contrary to many spiritual belief systems, including the teachings of many Christian religions. Of course, there are some parents who simply hate gay people and want their kids to hate them too. While the adult LGBTQ community may enjoy more privileges and social acceptance, it is clear that LGBTQ kids do not. They are the targets of the new and improved homophobic assault and where casualties of this onslaught are all the more devastating.
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