Missouri Proposes Its Own Version of "Don't Say Gay" Bill

[leekohler]

Missouri Republicans, borrowing an idea from Tennessee, have proposed a "don't say gay" bill of their own.

The Huffington Post reports that dozens of sponsors are signed onto the bill, including House Speaker Steve Tilley and Republican Majority Leader Tim Jones. House Small Business Committee Chairman Dwight Scharnhorst perhaps offered the strangest reasoning for why Missouri needs a "don't say gay" bill.

"There is no need to talk about Billy wanting to marry a goat," Scharnhorst told the Huffington Post.

In Tennessee, the law threatens teachers and school administrators with fines and jail time if they discuss homosexuality before high school. It has advanced out of committee and could soon be considered by the full House. In Missouri, HB 2051 would ensure "no instruction, material, or extracurricular activity sponsored by a public school that discusses sexual orientation other than in scientific instruction concerning human reproduction shall be provided in any public school."

But to clear up any confusion about the Missouri version, sponsor Rep. Steve Cookson issued a statement explaining that it applies to all discussion of sexual orientation, both homosexual and heterosexual.

"My bill does not target a particular sexual orientation but instead says instruction or materials related to any sexual orientation should not take place in our public schools," Cookson said.

Wow. This is crazy. If this is taken to mean what it says, people won't even be able to talk about their parents kissing. This is insane.

http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Mis..._Say_Gay_Bill/

[zioxide]

Why do people keep getting more and more ******* crazy? Something has to give eventually...

[AP_piano295]

Hands in ears (check)

Therefore gay people don't exist.

[MorphingDragon]

This bill is gay. *Snicker*

I just don't understand how people can think that not talking about stuff makes it better. I spent 4 years not talking about my Sexuality hoping it would fix itself. NOPE!

:/

Originally Posted by zioxide

Why do people keep getting more and more ******* crazy? Something has to give eventually...

Don't you get it? Something already gave way.

[rdowns]

So tired of the bat***** crowd. Even more tired that my tax dollars subsidize these cretins. You are aware that most red states are welfare states in that they get more from Wash. DC than they pay in federal taxes.

[barkomatic]

The mainstream right is getting more and more extreme in terms of social policy. It seems the goal is a society that resembles what it was in the 1800's. If the federal government doesn't become an evangelical, Christian totalitarian state then I'm starting to think lawmakers in these crazy states might start talking about succession.

[eawmp1]

The proposed bill:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:



Section A. Chapter 170, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 170.370, to read as follows:

170.370. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no instruction, material, or extracurricular activity sponsored by a public school that discusses sexual orientation other than in scientific instruction concerning human reproduction shall be provided in any public school.

The sponsor:

Missouri Rep. Steve Cookson, from southeast Missouri, but he has been a teacher, principal and also the superintendent of the Naylor School District in Ripley County from 2001 to 2010.
The Naylor School District has 414 students, and 163 of them attend the high school, which includes grades 7 through 12.

Hate IS taught.

[yg17]

Originally Posted by eawmp1

The proposed bill:


The sponsor:


Hate IS taught.

He's from southeast Missouri. Why am I not surprised? That's where Rush Limbaugh grew up.

I-55 through the bootheel is lined with Jesus, "pro-family" and all sorts of other offensive billboards. It's a terrible part of the state. I drove through it once, never want to do it again.

St. Louis is the gateway to the west, but I consider Cape Girardeau the gateway to the south. Because that's the dividing line between sanity and inbred, racist, homophobic rednecks.

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by eawmp1

The proposed bill:


The sponsor:


Hate IS taught.

Right there in the wording of the bill, it allows for discussion of heterosexual activity, even though it's in scientific terms. What happens if a kid asks about gay people in sex ed class? The teacher can't talk about it or goes to jail. What message does that send? Even when I was in 7th grade in the late 70's we could talk about gay people in class with the teacher. This bill is horrible.

[eric/]

This is where being politically correct gets us.

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by eric/

This is where being politically correct gets us.

Huh? How so?

[eric/]

Originally Posted by leekohler

Huh? How so?

In Missouri, HB 2051 would ensure "no instruction, material, or extracurricular activity sponsored by a public school that discusses sexual orientation other than in scientific instruction concerning human reproduction shall be provided in any public school.

Seems like they're trying to not offend anybody from what I can tell from that statement.

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by eric/

This is where being politically correct gets us.

This has nothing to do with political correctness.