"It's like watching the 700 Club and the Weather Channel at the same time."
--Stephen Colbert

LGBTQ

Should an LGBTQ club/organization be allowed in a middle school setting?

I don't understand how it is difficult to understand the concept of a middle school child knowing if they are LGBTQ.

The concept of a girl liking a boy is apparently easy and the concept of a boy liking a girl is apparently easy.

So why cant LGBTQ middle schoolers know about their sexuality?

Why would you doubt their competance to understand what they do and do not like?

Give kids more credit. The problem with adults is they often times do not remember what it is like to be a kid because they have spent so much time trying to be an adult.

Prejudice that kills.

I discovered GLAAD today while watching the awards show.

There was a segment on Sean Kennedy who was killed by a drunk individual (a bigot, some may say), named Stephen Moller.

Considering that I live in South Carolina, I have had experience with people who do not posses the most open of minds. Although I am not from Greenville, Sean Kennedy's death seems to be a representation of a state that I often wish to disown and leave. The loss of his life is proof and reasoning as to why I hope not spend the rest of my life in South Carolina. Bigotry is unfortunately everywhere, but South Carolina is a unique creature.

From what I read, both Kennedy and Moller were out the night of Kennedy's death. Moller punched Kennedy so hard that he broke facial bones, when his head hit the pavement he consequently suffered from severe/fatal brain damage. Moller plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter. His possible life sentence in prison was reduced to three years in prison and three years probation after his release. I read on the webpage Elke Kennedy (Sean's mother) has created that he will most likely be up for parole within 10 months. The sentence was reduced because the jury (who possibly lacks brain cells and maybe moral fiber) saw no "malicious intent" in his actions.

If South Carolina had a hate crime legislation on the books Moller would have received a harsher sentenced. There are five states that do not have hate crime legislation: South Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Check out the links below.

Stephen Moller gets three years in Sean Kennedy's death at club

Human Rights Watch: U.S. LAW AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS

National News: GLAAD Helps Pitch Story of Sentencing of Man who killed Sean Kennedy

GLAAD: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

Boy loves boy and girl loves girl

As many of us know, California joined in on allowing same-sex marriage. I find that most people are either strongly anti- or pro- gay marriage. (note pic below) I find it unnecessarily prejudice and an example of my former comment.

Anyway, an article in the New York Times covered gender in marriage, which is not a new issue, but consistently a problem.

"Notably, same-sex relationships, whether between men or women, were far more egalitarian than heterosexual ones. In heterosexual couples, women did far more of the housework; men were more likely to have the financial responsibility; and men were more likely to initiate sex, while women were more likely to refuse it or to start a conversation about problems in the relationship. With same-sex couples, of course, none of these dichotomies were possible, and the partners tended to share the burdens far more equally."

There is much more to the article. My point is that everyone could learn from homosexual couples, I find it that many people tend to focus on the fact that they are homosexual instead of the positives and the qualities within their relationship. Like...love.