Truth and Consequences

     “District faces bullying probe” is the headline in the local section of the STrib today.  Feds are investigating allegations of GLBT harassment in Anoka-Hennepin schools reads the heading above the article.  The article goes on to reveal a probe by the U.S. Department of Justice and Education, on the harassment and bullying of young people, in Minnesota’s largest school district, who either are, or are perceived to be GBLT. They are also reviewing suicides and their connection to bullying.  Under scrutiny are the district’s handling of GBLT issues, and the district’s sexual orientation policy aka “the neutrality policy.”  This began last November, and is ongoing. 

     The Southern Poverty Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have taken a stand against the “neutrality policy” and are threatening a law-suit to end it.  According to the article, “The district defended the neutrality policy Wednesday and said ‘the community is split and opinions vary widely’ on GLBT issues.”  Naturally.  This school district is in Bachmann country.  This is a district that has elected Michele Bachmann, who promotes homophobia. 

     This is happening in Minnesota.  This is not nice.

     Consider this.  Michele Bachmann, has taken The Family Leader Marriage Vow for Presidential Candidates, which seeks to defend marriage against homosexuals, glorifies slavery for African-American children, and promotes the oppression of women. She has taken a position that women are to submit to their husbands and is married to Marcus Bachmann. Her husband owns two “Christian” Counseling Centers (this is not MY Christianity – but that is for another post), which pathologize homosexuality, and seek to “cure” it. 

     I have worked, in-depth, long term with a fair number of Lesbians in therapy.  None of them have sought treatment to be “cured” of homosexuality.  They have come for all the reasons heterosexual people come for therapy: anxiety, depression, and trauma.  However, there is something unique about working with gay women – in addition to all the travails of life as a human being – they have been traumatized by the very culture they live in. 

     The Bachmanns reinforce this trauma through trying to “cure” homosexuality with damaging counseling techniques, promoting hatred though The Family Leader Marriage Vow, and institutionalizing bigotry in school district policies. 

     The STrib article ends with the tragic story of a 15-year old boy, Justin, who committed suicide after open bullying and shoving in this school district for TWO YEARS – which was never reported to his parents!  Is this neutrality?  For who?  The bullies?  I have a teenager, lots of teenage nieces and nephews, and I have worked with teenagers, of all stripes, in the course of my career.  Justin is my child.  He is your child.  My head is exploding.  My heart is breaking. Tears. Rage.