Teacher Lost His Job After Showing Anti-Bullying Video

Tom Leahy

A Conway Springs, Kansas teacher who tried to teach his students about intolerance is now out of a job.

Tom Leahy, a social studies teacher at Conway Springs Middle School, was inspired to show his class the anti-bullying short film Love Is All You Need?, after some students exhibited antigay behavior.

Leahy told The Wichita Eagle that when students separated into colonies as a part of a learning exercise, at least one colony wanted to exclude gays, which upset some of the other students in the class.

I was expecting fairly positive kinds of colonies: ‘Do things we think are right, and be nice.’ But it just kind of got twisted around, and it became a place where certain people weren’t allowed.

The film is a parable about a fictionalized world where heteros, not gays, are subject of sexual orientation-based discrimination, but Leahy admits that he didn’t get permission from parents or the principal to show the film.

After outraged parents contacted the school board and superintendent, Leahy found himself in hot water. Though he was set to retire at the end of the current school year, the school board is expected to accept his resignation when they meet next week. Leahy seems surprised by the outrage, but hopes that the community can find a way to move beyond the debacle:

It’s an unfortunate situation all around, but we’re sure that at least some of his students appreciated the message, and it’s good to know we have allies in the classroom where they’re needed the most.

Watch the short film he showed students below.

Rob Smith

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An excellent point
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An excellent point
byu/rainbow_llama_dragon inlgbt

News: Annise Parker, The Bushes, Alex Minsky, Pyramids, Pizza and Anal

> Annise Parker wins Twitter with response to transphobic Tea Party-er. 

> Justin Bieber says he doesn’t know who Bette Midler is: “‘This Britt Meddler,’ says Justin, unintentionally mangling the stage-and-screen legend’s name. ‘I don’t even know who that is, honestly.’”

> Star Wars star John Boyega cleans up nicely for The Hollywood Reporter.

> President Obama says bomb is a “possibility” in downing of Russian jet over the Sinai peninsula in Egypt: “Whenever you’ve got a plane crash, first of all you’ve got the tragedy, you’ve got — making sure there’s an investigation on site. I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board. And we are taking that very seriously.”

> Ancient Greek fort discovered underneath Israeli parking lot: “This sensational discovery allows us for the first time to reconstruct the layout of the settlement in the city, on the eve of the Maccabean uprising.”

> New trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s new film The Hateful Eight drops. 

> If you steal Serena Williams’ phone, she will hunt you down and find you. 

> The Advocate names The Supreme Court as its people of the year.

> War vet Alex Minsky gets the pin-up calendar treatment. 

> Bush clan publicly quarrels: George H.W. Bush calls out Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and son George W. over the Iraq war. Rumsfeld hits back: ““Bush 41 is getting up in years and misjudges Bush 43, who I found made his own decisions.” Jeb tries to clean up the mess.

> Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is definitely backing Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House.

> Noomi Rapace rumored to play Amy Winehouse in biopic of the ill-fated singer’s life.

> Justin Trudeau is your paper doll.

> The Department of Education proposes changing curtains in school locker rooms for transgender students. 

> Archaeologists to Ben Carson: the pyramids were not built to store grain: “We know what the pyramids were built for because the ancient Egyptians tell us what they were built for.”

> Flawless diamond so rare it’s described as the “once in a blue moon” diamond could fetch $55 million at auction. 

> Center for American Progress pushes for LGBT national monuments: “Not a single unit of the National Park System has a primary focus on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, community…Both Congress and the executive branch have an opportunity to recognize the contributions and impact of the LGBT community through the selection of new sites that celebrate its population and history. These designations also would provide an economic benefit to areas where they are located.”

> After The Rapture Pet Care will take care of your cat…after the rapture.

> Pizza and anal is the new Netflix and chill thanks to Hillary Clinton and Twitter mobile. 

The post News: Annise Parker, The Bushes, Alex Minsky, Pyramids, Pizza and Anal appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

News: Annise Parker, The Bushes, Alex Minsky, Pyramids, Pizza and Anal

New York Times Blames Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for Next Trans Suicide

As LGBT leaders pontificate on the “how” and “why” of Tuesday’s overwhelming electoral defeat of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, the editorial board of The New York Times is pointing its finger squarely at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. 

“Sometime in the near future, a transgender teenager in Texas will attempt suicide — and maybe succeed — because vilifying people for their gender identity remains politically acceptable in America,” opens the editorial, published one day after Houston voters soundly rejected the broad nondiscrimination protections HERO sought to provide. 

An increase in recent media attention to the trans people who have taken their own lives has spotlighted the deadly impact of such false, misleading messages, especially when sent by those in positions of power. While experts contend that suicidal ideation is a complex issue fed by multiple factors, transgender people are acutely at risk. A reported 41 percent of trans people have considered or attempted suicide; that’s 10 times the average rate for the cisgender (nontrans) population. Suicide prevention experts often point to the harsh, misleading public campaigns against basic rights for trans people as a key ingredient of the toxic environment that leaves many trans people hopeless.  

The Times editorial continued: 

“The hateful rhetoric of leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the latest, ugliest example. Mr. Patrick was ebullient on Tuesday night after it became clear that Houston voters had decidedly rejected a broad equal rights ordinance that opponents maliciously and misleadingly characterized as a boon for cross-dressing sex offenders.”

Going on to note that HERO sought to protect from discrimination 15 classes of people — including disabled individuals, like Gov. Abbott, who is a paraplegic — the Times turned its focus to using HERO’s loss as a teachable moment for the LGBT equality movement in a post-marriage equality nation, concluding:

“When that movement achieves irreversible momentum — and it is a matter of when, not whether — people like [anti-HERO campaign organizer Jared] Woodfill, Mr. Abbott and Mr. Patrick will be remembered as latter-day Jim Crow elders. Their demagogy is egregious because it preys on some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“As opponents of the ordinance celebrate their victory this week, transgender people across the country are understandably reeling. They should take comfort in knowing that history will not be kind to the haters who won on Tuesday. In time, the bigots are destined to lose.”

If you are a trans or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, Trans Lifeline can be reached at (877) 565-8860. LGBT youth (ages 24 and younger) can reach the Trevor Project Lifeline at (866) 488-7386. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 can also be reached 24 hours a day by people of all ages and identities.

Sunnivie Brydum

www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/11/05/new-york-times-blames-texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-next-trans-suicide

Ben Carson: Trans People Don’t Deserve ‘Extra Rights,’ Like Using Bathroom

Ben Carson is ready to dictate which restrooms transgender people can use.

The post Ben Carson: Trans People Don’t Deserve ‘Extra Rights,’ Like Using Bathroom appeared first on ThinkProgress.

Zack Ford

thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/11/05/3719797/ben-carson-transgender-bathroom/

eHarmingMe.com Is The Dating Site That Thinks Toxicity Is Sexy!

The seasons are changing, and that means people are looking for new romances. But why try so many people who you’re not sure will work when you can try something you’re sure won’t work?!

Comedian Laura Malone Hunt brings you eHarmingMe.com, the dating site that thinks exploiting your childhood wounds are the best way to a person’s heart.

Also on HuffPost:

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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Open Question: Why do Liberals love making Un-Constitutional Laws?
-‘Anti-Discrimination Laws’ towards The LGBT Movement & “Minorities”
-Gun Control Laws
-“Anti-Bullying” Laws
-The FCC “Censorship” Laws
-Anti-Business Ownership Laws
-Government Intervention
Proof Liberals hate FREEDOM!

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20151105144156AAnhW9P

HRC Announces Participation in Boston Marathon

The HRC Foundation is proud to announce our participation in the Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-announces-participation-in-boston-marathon?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

This dense new doc is about Jackson Heights
Frederick Wiseman, at 85, brings his signature documentary technique to one of the last pockets of true ethnic and economic diversity in the city: Jackson Heights, Queens. A Wiseman film has no interviews and no narrator; you’re plunged into whatever world he’s selected. But there are linking threads here, including the LGBT community, business owners…
Farran Smith Nehme

nypost.com/2015/11/05/this-dense-new-doc-is-about-jackson-heights/

Seth Meyers Debunks The Lies That Killed HERO

We all know that equality in the city of Houston suffered a major defeat yesterday. Though even Beyonce is being blamed, the truth is that good old fashioned lies led to the repeal of HERO, the Houston equal rights ordinance. Thankfully, Seth Meyers is here to debunk them and make us laugh in the process.

We hope the HERO advocates all watch this video for a good idea of what they need to do to get Houston’s equal rights back when the time comes for another campaign.

And you know it will. Watch Seth set everyone straight below.

Rob Smith

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