I wrote a post titled I will stab anyone who says “Boys will always be boys” in October 2010 at the height of teen (and preteen) suicides. With the nation coming together in the movement It Gets Better, I felt relieved.
“People get it now.” I thought. “They are reaching out to our young people. People are taking bullying at school seriously.” I told myself. “There is hope that things will change.”
What the fuck was I thinking?
Almost a year from when the movement It Gets Better was first started in September 2010, Mother Jones this week brought to our attention that NINE teenagers have committed suicide in ONE school district in the past two years. (Never mind your first reaction: Why weren’t these cases reported by the news outlet? Now that we have the celeb-endorsed It Gets Better, teen suicides are no longer news-worthy or something?!) That district, Anoka-Hennepin school district, is the largest in the state of Minnesota with 40,000 students. The situation is so alarming that the area where the school district is located has been identified as a “suicide contagion”, according to the school district website, “because of higher than normal numbers of suicides and suicide attempts.”
Nobody can really pin point precisely why these young people decided to take their own lives. Most of them were either self-identified as gay or were thought and taunted as gay. Wouldn’t you know that the Anoka-Hennepin school district apparently has one of the most homophobic official school policies?
Anoka-Hennepin has a policy on the books known colloquially as “no homo promo,” which dates in back to the mid-1990s. Back then, after several emotional school board meetings, the district essentially wiped gay people out of the school health curriculum. There could be no discussion of homosexuality, even with regard to HIV and AIDS, and the school board adopted a formal policy that stated school employees could not teach that homosexuality was a “normal, valid lifestyle.”
Later the policy was changed to require school staff to remain neutral on issues of homosexuality if they should come up in class, a change that critics said fostered confusion among teachers and contributed to their inability to address bullying and harassment, or to even ask reasonable questions about some of the issues the kids were struggling with, like sexual orientation. Source: Mother Jones
After so many young people have lost to us, people started paying attention and asking questions. The Anoka-Hennepin school district is currently under Federal investigation. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have also filed a law suit against the district. (SPLC explains why they are suing Anoka-Hennepin here)
The Anoka-Hennepin school district has been the subject of an investigation since the fall of 2010, after several students and community members came forward to report both verbal and physical bullying and harassment . During the ten month investigation, SPLC heard from students and teachers about concerns regarding the “neutrality” policy and implications of a gag policy in the classroom.
According to Sam Wolfe, lead attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, students have reported being called vicious anti-gay slurs and subjected to being physically assaulted pushed into school lockers and trash cans due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. One student even was reportedly attacked by a pencil and stabbed in the back of the neck. Source: WashingtonBlade
Maybe it is pure coincidence, but Anoka-Hennepin school district happens to be in Minnesota’s 6th congressional district whose representative is none other than Michele Bachmann.
Michele Bachmann who just recently signed a Christian right conservative family value yada yada group’s pledge which also stated that children born into slavery were somehow better off than children born into modern African American families.
Michele Bachmann who has from the beginning of her political career opposed any education and policy promoting tolerances towards the LGBT communities, who sees a “homosexual agenda” where gay youth would lure and indoctrinate the otherwise non-gay youth into a life of sin.
Yes, Michele Bachmann, there IS indeed a "Gay Agenda"...
Michele Bachmann who is the favorite of the Tea Party, and is leading the one woman (+ one ambiguously “pray the gay away” gay therapist husband) charge against gay marriages in defense of marriages, vowing to ban gay marriages (AND pornography, because you know, straight people do NOT watch porn. Ever). “Marriage is something worth fighting for!” she yelled. Cough cough. Michele, on this point, I think we all agree with you: Why do you think the gay community fights so hard for their right to marry?!
(I am waiting for her to say something in support of Hitler and deny Holocaust. Just you wait. It’s like she is playing a “Really? Really?! Are you fucking kidding me?!” Bingo game…)
According to a blog post on The Dump Michele Bachmann Blog from 2006 (way before she became a household name), “Most of the time Bachmann avoids committee hearings like the plague. However, she did deign to attend a hearing about a bill to address bullying in schools.” At this hearing in 2006 (which has been unearthed and discussed in these past few days), Bachmann questioned a proposed “zero tolerance” anti-bullying bill:
“For all us, our experience in public schools is there have always been bullies, always have been, always will be. I just don’t know how we’re ever going to get to point of zero tolerance and what does it mean? … What will be our definition of bullying? Will it get to the point where we are completely stifling free speech and expression? Will it mean that what form of behavior will there be – will we be expecting boys to be girls?” – Michele Bachmann, 2006
She went on and on to say that there are differences between boys and girls, that children are like barbarians and we as parents are trying to civilize them, yada yada yada. Why? So we as parents simply expect boys to be barbarians? To bully each other? To pick on the weak who cannot defend themselves? Lord of the Flies?
I have been seeing red ever since I read this line of hers this afternoon. I am so upset that I cannot really talk about it intelligently. I have said all that I wanted to say wrt. this subject in October 2010 I will stab anyone who says “Boys will always be boys”. I did not expect the day when I need to repeat myself, and it seems more urgent than ever because Bachmann is running for President and I honestly do not want to live in a country ruled by her and her narrow-minded friend. Heck, I don’t even want to live in a country where such an outcome is POSSIBLE.
I need to go stab a pillow or something.
Oh, one more thing.
Can we bring Sarah Palin back please?
We live in a conversative district so not only have I blogged about gay rights but we fly a rainbow flag in front of our home because we live near two high schools and want any gay youth to know that they have support and safe places. People who think they’re ‘saving marriage’ should be ashamed of themselves. I look forward to the time that this period is look upon like the Jim Crow laws — sad, horrifying, shameful and mostly done.
My hat’s off to you and your family. I do not have the guts to fly the rainbow flag. I am so honored to know you. Really. I mean it.
It’s a scary, scary thing when someone makes Sarah Palin seem just a tad less crazy.
Tru dat!
Just in case any like me hasn’t had a chance to see it yet here is the original version of that “pledge” Bachman signed: http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/The-Family-Leader-Presidential-Pledge.pdf
Does anybody else notice a number of contradictions? We want to get rid of any totalitarian ideals and fight against anyone inflicting that type of government on us…but btw, we’re a christian nation and our laws are going to make you follow our favorite parts of the bible whether you like it or not. And we’re going to censor pornographic material…without even truly defining it. Which to me, living in Mormonville, is terrifying. OMG the lady on the news last night showed cleavage! To jail with her and her immodesty!
Thank you for the link! Yup. That pledge completely ignored the horrible histories of rape, etc. Absolutely unbelievable.
Michele has the crazy husband, too… you know, the one who runs the clinic which receives federal funds, yet spews crap like, “God designed men’s eyes to be attracted to women’s breasts ” and wants to pray the gay away from those homosexual barbarians. Oh yeah, wouldn’t HE be a joy to have in the White House.
Michele and Sarah are a setback for women seeking political office.
(Wonder what women are supposed to be looking at, incidentally? )
I agree!
Let’s just say Michele won’t make my list as a source of “inspiration” – except perhaps inspiration to be vigilant about prejudice and ignorance, and its pervasiveness in this society.
She has also inspired me to do some kicking and stabbing movements.
Awesome post. I enjoyed reading Tom’s response. He says it well.
Michele or Sarah? I think I would have to go with Michele too. She is really scary too.
Velva
Thanks. yes, Tom’s comment really added context to what’s going on in that community.
Thanks again for another well informed enlightening post. Who knew this school district even existed? I am completely outraged over what is going on in Minnesota but suspect that there are plenty of other “Anoka Counties” around the United States doing similar things. It’s just criminal. As for Michele Bachmann….wrong, on every level.
Unfortunately, “middle America” sees her as someone that is intelligent and speaks to their “values”…
When I started to throw air punches at John Boehner the other night, I knew I should take a break from TV for a few days. I can only imagine the pain I would inflict if Michele Bachmann were to appear on my TV screen.
Did you see my Boehner joke? I almost choked on my coke when I saw the headline the other day: “Boehner pulled out”… 😉
No, not Sarah Palin!
Really though, this is sick-making.
Bill Maher was asked to pick one: Sarah or Michele. He reluctantly chose Michele Bachmann because “she is smarter.” I think Bachmann is the perfect example for “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
I’m not sure how exactly to say this, so I will just come right out with it.
“I am a resident of Anoka County, Minnesota”
NOW WAIT! Put down the pitchforks! I come in peace!
Even though I live in Anoka County, I am not in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, nor the MN 6th Congressional District. (My Representative is Keith Ellison, which is a whole ‘nother story. Seriously, for supposed moderate folks we tend to both extremes politically.)
Anyhoo… I will just offer my perspective as a local. Anoka-Hennepin is historically, Mullet/Pickemup Truck/Snow Mobile land. I say that lovingly, as these trailer trash folks are very similar to my own Western New Yorkers. After all, it was people in Anoka that overwhelmingly voted for Jesse Ventura back in the day. (Another Anoka County resident)
In the past 10-15 years the population has boomed in this area northwest of the Twin Cities, as “Exurbs” have sprouted McMansion’s like crazy. The result is an odd mixture of old school, rural, folk in trailers, and run down houses, and suburban SUV materialists in starter castles. Politically, the suburban transplants have pretty much taken over and are running things. They tend to the Religious Right of the political spectrum, and trust me when I say, Bachman is one of their people. However, in the grand scheme of things, these people are still not the majority in their district. The local rednecks have been notoriously unpredictable in their voting patterns (re: Jesse Ventura). To win these poor folk over to their agenda, the suburbanite-Bachmann’s use “social” and “cultural” boogey-men. Immigration, homosexuality, race, etc… they play these issues like the pied piper. I guess this isn’t a whole lot different than a lot of places in the rural U.S.
So that’s the background upon which this story is playing out. Is Anoka-Hennepin an unwelcoming environment for gays? Heck yeah. Is bullying an issue? Absolutely. When teens see their parents espousing these supposed “values”, why should we expect them to behave any differently?
So sadly, this doesn’t surprise me. What also doesn’t surprise me is that the local response in Anoka-Hennepin is “Don’t you liberal outsiders go telling us what to do” and “We’ll take care of our own problems.” Normally, those are valid requests from any populace, however, in this case it is tragic, and depressing to see that these people are not rushing to do everything in their power to change the situation. Perhaps the media attention will shame them into it.
Tom, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the background information! I am just happy for you and your family that your children are not in the said school district. It will not be a healthy environment for any kid no matter now popular and bully-proof that kid is. Keeping my fingers crossed that all the kids pull through.
I supposed boys have always been boys.
Queers have always been queer, too, Michelle. Why are you trying to change them? They’re as old as the Bible, if you’re a Young Earth person. They’ve always been with us. They’re our mothers, sons, fathers, brothers, sisters–they’re our families. They’re us.
And we parent our children. We don’t let them dictate their behavior. We don’t let them raise themselves. We raise them. We tell them how to act, because kids will do some wrong, wrong things if you don’t discipline them.
This is not acceptable. Suicide is always preventable. You have a problem in your neighborhood, Representative. All of your children deserve to be protected.
Oh, and Representative Bachmann? Fuck you. Fuck you: your fat pussy smells like rotten anchovies and cheese, you have a gap, and you have a greasy five-head. President? Good luck, knucklehead. You couldn’t malaprope your way onto the The Real Housewives!
What? I’m just being a girl. Girls will be girls! We’re catty, vicious, back-biting, and not responsible for what comes out of our mouths when we’re mad! Shit: I thought you knew.
Will you marry me?
(I will let her answer you… LOL)
THANK YOU FOR THIS! xxoo