What is that country coming to? #6587

To shield their children from "the homosexual agenda" some people would be happy enough to audit school textbooks and lesson plans for signs of "promoting the gay lifestyle" and have them stricken from the curriculum. For others, that's not nearly enough. At a school in North Carolina, the school board has voted to ban Gay/Straight alliances from forming within the school.

Board members voted 7-0 in favor of Jim Shuping's motion to ban all sexually-oriented clubs — gay, straight or otherwise — and to address any student's emotional issues concerning sexuality with guidance counselors.

Shuping later added to the motion — at the recommendation of attorney Don Sayers — that the existence of such a club would "materially and substantially interfere with the orderly conduct of educational activities in school," a clause that makes banning it legal under the federal Equal Access Act.

Essay question for Mr Shuping:

How does the presence of a Gay/Straight alliance materially and substantially interfere with the orderly conduct of educational activities in school?

Brian Johnson, whose children will attend South Rowan, said a public high school was no place for a Gay/Straight Alliance.

"Take a stand for what you believe is right," he told the board. "If it comes down to a lawsuit, there will be help for that."

And I'm in complete agreement with Ed Brayton over at Dispatches, where I first heard about this sorry state of affairs...

A lawsuit is being prepared to challenge the school board's decision. And I'm going to make this prediction: the school board is going to lose and it's going to lose badly. In fact, I predict that the case will result in summary judgement for the plaintiffs and that will be upheld on appeal. This one isn't even close, nor should it be.

But as some commentators to Ed's post noted, it's a win-win situation for the bigots, as a crushing defeat in court provides the perfect opportunity to cry "Help! Help! Us God fearin' Christians is bein' persecuted by them godless liberal judges again!"