Friday, February 02, 2007
Editorial: Parents cannot veto sexuality
Now that gay marriage has been dealt with, the House goes after gay teens.
From the RoundTable blog
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Once again, the House of Delegates has passed a bill masquerading as parental involvement. Its true intent is to undermine support for vulnerable gay teens, and it deserves the same death in the Senate as its predecessors.
The bill, HB 1727, sponsored by Del. Matthew Lohr, R-Rockingham, would require high schools and middle schools to notify parents what extracurricular clubs are available. Schools would also either provide a mechanism for parents to opt their children out of certain clubs or require express written permission for participation.
It's an understandable parental reflex. Most parents want to know what their kids are doing and to have some say in the matter.
Traditionally, that sort of involvement comes out of good parenting. Developing an open relationship with children takes work, but it allows communication. The bill, its supporters say, would only give parents another tool to help it happen.
That's the official line, anyway. The bill's real targets are high school gay-straight alliances.
Many teens turn to such groups for support during a difficult time in their lives. It's tough enough dealing with hormones and awakening sexuality. Attraction to members of the same sex in a state that all but condemns such relationships worsens the emotional and mental stress.
Gay teens often have a hard time coming out to themselves, let alone their families. In a perfect world, they would be able to do so freely, but many people, including some parents, still stigmatize gays. Working up the courage takes time, and that is when a gay-straight alliance can provide the most help.
Under Lohr's bill, gay-fearing parents could prevent kids from seeking that support.
If lawmakers genuinely only want to make sure parents know their kids are participating in clubs, delegates could simply require a single permission slip for all clubs, not club-by-club veto. The current system is broken only in the eyes of those who condemn people based on their sexuality.
Virginia trusts its schools to ensure after-school activities are safe. The parental permission bill throws that out and creates legislative micromanagement for all the wrong reasons.
