Apparently, someone didn't quite catch the nuance

[matt_mcl]

So, yes, we’ve been saying that calling someone or something “gay” to insult them or it is, well, insulting.

Apparently someone has their heart in the right place, but is a little short on the mental voltage:

7-year-old punished for calling his gay mom “gay”

Second-grader Marcus McLaurin was waiting for recess Nov. 11 at Ernest Gaullet Elementary School when a classmate asked about Marcus’ mother and father, the ACLU said in a complaint.

Marcus responded he had two mothers because his mother is gay. When the other child asked for explanation, Marcus told him: “Gay is when a girl likes another girl,” according to the complaint.

A teacher who heard the remark scolded Marcus, telling him “gay” was a “bad word” and sending him to the principal’s office. The following week, Marcus had to come to school early and repeatedly write: “I will never use the word ‘gay’ in school again.”

I suppose I should be pissed off, but mostly I’m just amused in a tired sort of way.

[AncientHumanoid]

And I was just getting used to the old ance.

[Lord_Ashtar]

So, we’re not allowed to call gay people gay anymore?

[Ringo]

Well, I sorta feel your pain, matt. I know linguistics and popular language are interests of yours.

I remember the early '70s here in Texas when La Raza Unida was popularizing itself as the Latino political party. They heavily promoted the use of “chicano” and “chicana,” which I easily adopted until I met some folks from the northeast who, surprise, surprise, thought my use of such denigrating. And told me so with fury.

sigh

[TJdude825]

That’s what I hate about public schools. They teach you a lot of facts, but they (generally) don’t encourage you to distinguish between wrong and right or to use your own mind. This is pretty bad coming from a teacher, but I could imagine them teaching students that “calling people gay is bad, calling people gay is bad” without telling them why. Even if they’re only seven, they obviously have the ability to understand the concept of homosexuality–the boy in question gave a pretty accurate definition. So maybe the schools could actually explain to the kids how “You listen to that band? You’re so gay” is offensive, not just to the insultee, but also to gays in general, and then they might draw their own conclusions about a case like this, instead of just blindly following what they’ve been taught. As for this teacher, everyone makes mistakes I guess, but… wow.

2+2=5, 2+2=5, 2+2=5

[matt_mcl]

Hmm… apparently I was too quick to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

On a separate form for the Louisiana Department of Education, Bethea said Marcus “told the other child that gay is when a girl likes a girl. This kind of discussion is not acceptable in my room,” she continued. “I feel that parents should explain things of this nature to their own children in their own way.”

So forget it. Go look at the pit thread instead.

:mad: