Sunday, January 31, 2010

Homophobia (again) in Wyoming

When our little home town of Wheatland, Wyoming gets publicity, it is usually the bad kind. This month is no exception. Our school board, showing a wealth of bigotry and ignorance, has voted to take down "No Place for Hate" posters in the schools due to the sponsorship from a gay and lesbian organization.

http://www.9news.com/...

Here are a few stand out quotes from two of the board members:
http://www.trib.com/...
Wheatland, a southeast Wyoming town of about 3,300 residents, is an "ultraconservative community," said school board member Lee Dunham.

"If this is the way one chooses, then they can lead this particular lifestyle, but I don't believe it needs to be publicly displayed in a school," Dunham said.

School board member Joe Fabian said he believes the Anti-Defamation League is pushing an "agenda that is pro-gay marriage" and that the community of Wheatland is not supportive of that.

"They wouldn't want the organization, the Anti-Defamation League, dictating to their children that an alternate lifestyle is a normal lifestyle," he said.


It makes me sick. If you care to, please help send a message to these ill-intentioned board members by signing a petition requesting the posters be returned here: http://www.petitionspot.com/...

More commentary can be found on the local news/gossip site wheaterville.com

The students are expressing their desire to have the decision overturned, wearing buttons and putting up their own posters, and rallying support on Facebook. I hope is that the school board gets the message and reverses this distasteful decision.