I agree that such protests are not a good thing to expose kids to but to creating a protest free bubble around every thing doesn't seem practical. As an example it would stop a rally in support of black lives matter as well. Or teachers striking.
Suddenly someone has to say what topics are allowed to have rallies and which are not. We don't want to live in that country.
I'd say the police should handle these differently. For example if the protesters are threatening to anyone in the location but I don't see any evidence that they would make even remotely good choices.
Having said that, the police do need to do a better job. It seems to me that if skuffles break out it probably means there is not enough separation between the protesters. I would also like to stop seeing the police helping fascists too but I doubt I will get that wish.
Such a bubble seems workable to me, with the caveat of “during classes” or the like. If teachers are on strike, then there aren’t classes in session and thus it would be okay. And for BLM, a student-led rally could take place after classes, and a community-led rally during school hours would probably be much more effective if held elsewhere.
But the reason we’re talking about this is because anti-trans protestors want children to feel it’s dangerous and bad to be queer. It’s specifically an attack on queer kids and anyone who helps them feel safe at school. And kids, whether queer or not, shouldn’t be forcefully exposed to that hate in a place they are required by law to be.
It's the bigotry and hate that needs to be the focus of any action, not the act of protesting. I disagree that it would be detrimental for kids to see people exercising their freedom of expression, as thorny as the issue is, ultimately if you're getting kids thinking critically about the world around them and their part in it, that's a very good thing. But these bigots are literally protesting the existence of queer kids, they are protesting to be hateful and nothing more. That shit is not okay.
But the reason we’re talking about this is because anti-trans protestors want children to feel it’s dangerous and bad to be queer.
Indeed, which is gross and makes me very angry
Such a bubble seems workable to me, with the caveat of “during classes” or the like. If teachers are on strike, then there aren’t classes in session and thus it would be okay. And for BLM, a student-led rally could take place after classes, and a community-led rally during school hours would probably be much more effective if held elsewhere.
I like it. Nice. That could be a workable solution. I was concerned by phrases like: no protests against human rights. I manage understand what that means but I have zero confidence that police forces or conservative governments would ever do the right thing with that definition.
I don't see any reason anyone should be protesting anything by a school. Unless it's the school kids themselves protesting, we did that once when I was in school. I think social pressure is appropriate here, if you're doing this, you're doing something messed up, and your friends should be telling you so.
My problem with bubble zones is that they're A) difficult to enforce, and B) protesting should be inconvenient. If we only allow protests in certain places, they're extremely easy to ignore. This goes for any kind of protest on any issue.
In an ideal world, I don't really want kids exposed to protests. But protests are only really effective when they take place where you don't want them. If protests for trans rights only ever took place in a cordoned off area safely away from everyone, they wouldn't be very effective either.
Parents should have a say what is being taught to their kids. LGBT values are an invasive culture change that is being pushed on kids without the interests of the parents in mind. This was equally true of the way Christianity was pushed on kids. I have always supported the secularization of schools. I don't want the government teaching my kid what to believe. They should learn fact-based sciences and important life skills, values should be taught by the parents.
For the record, I've been an LGBT supporter all of my life. I've always preached acceptance of other people no matter their beliefs or circumstances. I've only recently had to start pushing back because I believe certain parts of the LGBT culture are not suitable for children. It does not make you evil or a bigot to seek compromise. We all have to live together in this nation, we need to find ways to make peace with each other.
For the record, I’ve been an LGBT supporter all of my life.
No, I’m afraid you haven’t been. For example, there was that time you wrote:
LGBT values are an invasive culture change that is being pushed on kids without the interests of the parents in mind.
Some of those kids are gay, some are bi, some are trans, some are ace, some are intersex, the list goes on. Every one of them deserves acceptance and support, whether their parents agree or not. A queer child’s safety and well-being shouldn’t depend on winning the supportive-parent(s) lottery. And even with a supportive parent, a hostile school environment can lead to suicidal ideation. Any guess as to how I know that?
I’ve only recently had to start pushing back because I believe certain parts of the LGBT culture are not suitable for children.
Sure, but which parts do you mean? Because lately, the rhetoric has mostly been about “drag queen story hour” which is really just reading books while playing fancy dress-up. There’s nothing inherently harmful or even sexualized about it.
I'm guessing that "certain parts" for them is simply trans people being visible. They should be aware of the high risk of suicide as they claim they were formally a therapist in a past comment, but they disagree with the value of gender affirming care so I really doubt there's any semblence of compassion for queer people in that ugly little heart of theirs. What kind of person reviews the body of evidence that shows it saves lives and think "this LGBTQ stuff is going too far", jfc
Hah! To true. He supports LGBT rights…to be somewhere else.
I'm curious what they mean by "certain parts of the LGBT culture are not suitable for children". I'm assuming he means the sex, so sure. But that's a bit of a strawman. No one says that accepting Timmy having a Mom and a Dad means they are indoctrinating Timmy to raw-dawg it. Likewise Tommy having two Moms or Tammy having two Dads isn't advocating a specific sexual practice. Or at least not any more directly than so-called "traditional values" would supposedly advocate the raw-dawging.
I guess it's the old "I'm not a racist, some of my best friends are [insert race identifier here], but…" has been around for a long time. This is just "I'm an LGBT supporter, but they shouldn't be allowed to exist in polite society" or something.
They should learned fact-based sciences and important life skills, values should be taught by the parents.
While I can agree with this in theory, I think it is impossible in practice. We like to think that science is objective and that all decisions can be made in a bubble. However, everything is intertwined and human subjectivity is always present in science.
For example, intersex people are a fact. Some people can have both male and female sex organs. In addition, some people are sexually attracted to people of the same sex - this behaviour is present across the animal kingdom. Yet, if you taught this in a school, parents would complain about the “values” that these facts represent.
In addition, where do you draw the line with secularization? Schools take time off for Christmas and Easter, which are Christian holidays. Sure, you can rename them “winter break” and “spring break” - and yet, the spring break still aligns with the Easter holiday each year.
This society is built on Christian values. We need to recognize its existence in our everyday lives before we can begin to confront how it is harming members of our society and negotiate new ways of thinking.
The photos of Muslims trampling rainbow flags indicates that this isn't a distinctly Christian thing. And there are plenty of atheists that are transphobic too.
The main problem is we're tribal. It's easy to manipulate our tribal thinking to turn people against a group. Trying to turn people against Christians isn't solving anything it's just trying to fight tribalism with more tribalism.
To a hammer, all problems look like nails. To an atheist, all problems look like religion. Historically, this line of thinking has never made anything better, it's only made things worse.
Let’s set aside the LGBTQ context and take another example then.
During the Convoy protests in Ottawa, the downtown schools were directly and adversely affected. Besides the health impacts of poor air quality and dangerously high decibel truck horns, kids were subjected to protests about masks that were mandatory for students attending schools and harassed by adults as they arrived.
Given the blocked streets and protests around public transit, parents had to drop off kids blocks away and let them walk in through the protesters without parental support or supervision.
There were some days that the schools had to close for safety reasons due to the risk of exploding nearby fuel stashes and unregulated open fire pits.
Imagine thinking people are so stupid that they'll believe you've been 'an LGBT supporter all your life" three seconds after they read your claim that "LGBT values are an invasive culture change". Be serious man.
Side note, what are LGBT values? I'm a lesbian, my core values are like... Competence, curiosity, integrity, courage, dependability... all of them things that can be valued and exhibited by cishet people too. Not you obviously, but others.
You are the very last thing from ally. Wading through the transphobia all over your post history, you've clearly stated you don't even believe in gender affirming care. If you're constantly being told that you're alt-right when you believe you're not, as you claim in another comment, or need to complain how everyone calls you a bigot when you express these opinions, maybe you need to reflect a little bit more on the beliefs you're trying to push on others. Because let's be very clear here, you're saying it's unacceptable and too extreme to accept trans people for who they are. That queer people existing openly is "an invasive culture". You're seeking compromise over someone being able to freely be themselves, safely and without fear. Nah, bigot, YOU can be the one to compromise, and shush. Anyone pushing opinions that break the treaty of tolerance doesn't deserve respect or consideration.
For the record, I’ve been an LGBT supporter all of my life.
Hi. LGBT Person here. You're a liar. That's all.
Parents should have a say what is being taught to their kids. LGBT values are an invasive culture change that is being pushed on kids
This is a bigoted dogwhistle and should be treated as such. You are not a good person. You are not an ally. You are of the same cloth as the Pulse nightclub shooter or Matthew Shepards killers. You've no problem with blood being spilled, you just don't want it directly on your hands.
Big issue here is religion is based very deeply in things that are directly opposed to any reasonable understanding of how our world actually works. LGBT is based on personal feelings and desires, and there is little excuse for denying people what they say about themselves. I can say that all evidence suggests fairies do not exist, and we shouldn't be including them in school curriculum, no matter how big of a belief group exists for them.
But you cannot argue LGBT people do not exist. I'm a boy. I like other boys. It is inexcusable that half of the world would have me arrested or murdered for the fact, and allowing that same hated to permeate our society would be an injustice.