Bullying bill

Rep Deborah Ross, staffer and Sen Julia Boseman explain School Violence Protection Act to House Judiciary I Committee

North Carolina Conservatives are lying about sexual orientation and gender identity to bully the anti-bullying bill into submission. To defeat SB 526, the School Violence Prevention Act, Republican House Minority Leader Paul Stam and the Christian Action League have been claiming the existence of 30 sexual orientations as listed in the DSM-IV, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association. No such list exists. It is a fabrication of conservative Christians used to defeat any legislation that can be presumed to protect the human rights of gay people.

Whether through ignorance, invective or indifference, Stam and the Christian Action League have been falsely equating sexual orientation and gender identity with sexual disorders or deviations and have perpetuated a myth originated by the American Family Association that incorrectly references and misquotes the DSM-IV-TR. The American Psychiatric Association would describe this as "irrational discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation." The Christian Action League compounds the error by variously attributing the bogus "list" to the American Psychological Association and to the American Psychiatric Association, two separate professional organizations.

Anyone watching the debate in the General Assembly knows that House Minority Leader Paul "Skip" Stam (R-Wake) just can't stop lying about the School Violence Prevention Act, but this morning he outdid his usual unhinged ravings.

It's hard to fathom that any sane member of the bar (Skippy's a lawyer dontcha know) chosen to serve as leader of his party, can stand up with a straight face and say that same-sex parents are more dangerous than second-hand smoke.

This mind-numbingly idiotic and hateful remark was not made as part of a private joke in some dark hallway in the Legislative Building on Jones Street, but spoken aloud in the House Judiciary I Committee as Senator Julia Boseman stood there explaining the bullying bill - not a marriage or foster care or adoption bill - just a bullying bill.

One of my favorite writers, Andrea Verykoukis, has hit the perfect tone of righteous indignation about Catholic clergy and their support for bullying gay children. Her post is worth your time.

This just in my email...sorry for the cut and paste.

The Family Policy Council, the Christian Action League and the Catholic Bishops have been busy this weekend organizing against the School Violence Prevention Act. Our supporters have been busy too, generating hundreds of emails to their senators in support.

The bill is expected to come up for a vote tonight or tomorrow, and we have to keep the pressure on.

Please take a minute right now to call your senator and ask for support, even if you've already emailed about this bill.

Click here to look up your Senator's phone number.

Just call and leave a message saying something like this: "I'm a constituent and I ask you to support Senate Bill 526, the School Violence Prevention Act. Please oppose any amendments to weaken this bill."

This kind of direct contact makes a huge difference.

Thanks!

Ian

A statewide policy on bullying isn't a bad idea. Ensuring the policy is applied in a fair manner in every school district throughout the state won't be easy, but having a policy in writing that offers guidance to school officials will help schools and parents know when enough is enough.

Rep. Tricia Cotham is one of 50 cosponsors of the bill. She has personal experience with schoolyard bullies, having been a teacher and assistant principal in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Thank goodness for her level-headed, thoughtful discussion of this bill. She can speak and act from experience.