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Federal Court Rules For Gay Students In Button Case »

Posted by: david_nwpa 3 months, 3 weeks ago

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After a two-day trial in which a Florida high school principal testified that he believed clothing, buttons or stickers featuring rainbows would make students automatically picture gay people having sex, a federal judge today ruled that the school violated the First Amendment rights of students.

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david_nwpa3 months, 3 weeks ago

Excellent ruling from the court. Clearly this was a case in which the students' rights were being trampled by the school. Free speech in this case was being prohibited based solely on the notion that being gay is somehow disruptive to learning. I had thought bigotry was a worse problem than being gay. Perhaps I was wrong.
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david_nwpa3 months, 3 weeks ago

"Davis also testified that he believed rainbows were "sexually suggestive" and would make students unable to study because they'd be picturing gay sex acts in their mind. The principal went on to admit that while censoring rainbows and gay pride messages he allowed students to wear other symbols many find controversial, such as the Confederate flag."
So this principal is comfortable with the pride and joy of slavery in the South, aka the Confederate flag, but the television show, "Reading Rainbow" is sexually suggestive. Is this guy a total putz, or am I missing something here?
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  jordan113 months, 3 weeks ago
  
  You're not missing anything, and complacent parents had best wake the hell up & notice just who is influencing their kids!
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  tkyrchncs3 months, 3 weeks ago
  
  David, David, Southerners do not generally see the Confederate flag as a symbol of slavery. It used to be seen in my youth as a sign of pride in our region, and also as a bit rebellious, which has usually been considered not such a bad thing. I hate that this whole situation with the Confederate battle flag has devolved in this manner. A huge majority of those who fought under that flag held no slaves and were repelling armed invaders from their homes, not supporting slavery.
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    david_nwpa3 months, 3 weeks ago
    
    I stand corrected about the Confederate flag in terms of how the South views it. The North does not necessarily see it so kindly. As for the rest of my comments, I stand by them.
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      Dionys3 months, 3 weeks ago
      
      "The North does not necessarily see it so kindly. "
      Nor do the races once held as slaves.
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        tkyrchncs3 months, 3 weeks ago
        
        The characterization of this banner as racist or offensive has happened in my lifetime. It didn't used to be so. Everyone stood for the National Anthem and for Dixie at the football games.
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Poulenc3 months, 3 weeks ago

No, David--what's missing is the kind of insight that would allow the principal to understand that he's battling certain feelings he'd prefer not to acknowledge consciously.
His extreme, er, sensitivity to gay symbolism, the equation of same with "forbidden" sexual activity and the projection of that onto students...
...well it's all too textbook (if baroque), and all too depressing. But a good thing the court stepped in.
Lord! Where DO these guys come from?
Best not answer that!
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Poulenc3 months, 3 weeks ago

...I should have included, above,
".....projection of that onto students, whom he can "rescue...."
There--that fills out the perverse pathology/metaphor of it all nicely, don't you think?
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jordan113 months, 3 weeks ago

The 'principal' has some serious issues of his own. He's the one visualizing sex when seeing a rainbow flag, and I wouldn't let a kid of mine anywhere near him. My god, the man's a nut!
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  nothingpetty3 months, 3 weeks ago
  
  Sorry, double posted by accident.
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SunnyDays3 months, 3 weeks ago

I really think schools should hire more open minded people because students tend to be more and more liberated.
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kboy3 months, 3 weeks ago

I hope the ACLU will support the rest of the symbols that this Court allows as free speech. Where is the line between free speech and hate speech?
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walden33 months, 3 weeks ago

Budgets are so tight and the school board goes ahead and tries to defend such a meritless claim. What a waste of money. I can't believe school counsel didn't put an end to it right away. Stuff like this was decided by anti-war black armbands decades ago.
The school principal is also a very sick man. I really think that he is incapable of being in his position. He should be removed.
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mackiemesser3 months, 3 weeks ago

'Davis also testified that he believed rainbows were "sexually suggestive" and would make students unable to study because they'd be picturing gay sex acts in their mind.' Lord, is this guy for real? Incredible that he's the principal of any school.
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Hobe3 months, 3 weeks ago

Federal Court Rules For Gay Students In Button Case
This is an Excellent ruling by the federal Court!
HoMosexuals should and must have the same rights as all Americans....
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hamy3 months, 3 weeks ago

I know that when I see an ad for a beer, a tunnel of love, a billboard for NASCAR, a hair commercial, or straight people walking down the street holding hands all I can think about is them having sex!
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quackpot3 months, 3 weeks ago

Seeing a rainbow makes him think of people having sex???
And this guy still has a job in the school system?
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TheRealizer3 months, 3 weeks ago

This principle brings back memories of one I had lots of years ago in school, he would constantly berate me for not attending sunday sevices, I was an atheist before it was popular...
People in charge of education should worry only about education..
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nothingpetty3 months, 3 weeks ago

"Davis also testified that he believed rainbows were "sexually suggestive"
Yeah. Everytime I see a rainbow I think GROUP SEX.
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