The American gay community and its supporters have had a lot of political and social spotlight in the last two weeks. First, President Obama publicly supported gay marriage. That was followed a week later with an official endorsement and support from the NAACP for gay marriage. Then a day after this, DC Comics jumped into the fray with the announcement that one of their core characters would be outed. That’s right, one of the company’s iconic characters; Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Robin, Green Lantern, or Green Arrow, will come out of the closet and reveal to be gay.

President Obama’s approval of gay marriage is no surprise as he was for it back in 1996 and is the most liberal person to be President in decades. As an organization, the NAACP has been moving steadily down the liberal path for some time and will do a lot to support President Obama. DC’s decision, however, is more puzzling. It is one thing to add a gay super hero to their character roster. However, to decide to out one of the iconic characters in American pop culture is a more bold move, and will in my opinion backfire.

Which ever character DC has chosen to out, they will not be the first gay comic book character. Marvel comic books character, Northstar, was the first gay superhero in comicdom but Northstar never became a well-known character, nor prominent outside the Marvel comics sphere. By comparison, everyone knows Wolverine, even if you do not read comic books. In the ensuing years after Northstar, other gay characters have been introduced. Colossus of the Ultimate X-men line from Marvel, Batwoman in DC, as well as two lesbian characters in the DC title “Outsiders.”

Fanboys and girls took these changes in stride. After all, in a world where people can fly, shoot lasers out of their eyes and hands, and a regular man can beat out Superman, writers try to make it as close as possible to reality. Yes, in a world where all this is possible, there would be gay super heroes and villains. Besides, as one Orlando, Florida area comic bookstore manager said, “they are just following the current social trends.” And he is right, comics left the space of silly kid fun a long time ago. Social realism has been injected in the story lines and characters for years. Characters have been made drug addicted, alcoholics, wife beaters, in the 1970′s black characters where introduced, as were stories about racism. So what is so different now, and what is the big deal?

I have a few answers. The first, I believe it is a cardinal sin in writing to change anything about a well-known character for any reason other than storyline. If you violate that rule, you typically lose the audience. An example of this is the change in powers for Superman, following the “Death of Superman” storyline. After the mega sales caused by the death of Superman, it was revealed that he was in fact not really dead, just in a super coma. Once he returned, his powers were energy based, and his hair was long. Calling the fan reaction lukewarm would be charitable as best. Sales for the comic dropped way below expectations, given he was back from the dead. Over the years various characters have been tweaked and changed in effort to stay fresh, or increase sales. Origin stories can change a little, sometimes costumes can alter, and you can change their powers a bit, but you cannot change say, Batman into a black man. If you make too drastic a change, you will lose readers.

Can there be anything more of a blatant pander, than changing Superman into a gay alien? Will we be faced with seeing Wonder Woman, not in love with Steve Trevor, or secretly Superman, but with Supergirl? There is no original storyline which will makes sense, other than “Oh, well they were secretly gay all these decades.” And that is a problem. Millions of people have grown up with these characters, millions more still enjoy them and now they will watch as decades of story, of character meaning, go out the window just to make a point. Here is why this matters.

Wonder Woman is from an island of amazons; no men. So it is really easy to make her a lesbian. If they ever make a movie for Wonder Woman, will the movie version incorporate a possible impending revelation? What do you do with integral characters like Steve Trevor who was the main reason she wanted to leave her cozy little island in the first place. What if it is Batman? What are the implications, justified or not, of a gay Bruce Wayne, living with young boys dressed in tights? Will this affect the millions of kids who would be future audiences — which super heroes are they going to be cheering on?

To me, the issue is not about having a gay super hero. If super heroes existed, there would naturally be a few. Rather, the issue is changing an iconic character for a political or social statement. The racial unrest of the 60′s and 70′s prompted the creation of characters like the Black Panther, Falcon, and Black Lighting. They did not; however, turn Captain America into a black man from the Bronx.

What DC is doing is wrong and stupid. I love comics, but I will not be buying a comic with one of the major heroes turned into a gay character. Neither will many others. I predict many parents will stop buying those comics for their children. If a movie comes out, if they do not hold true to the original characters, I will not see that either. This will be because DC destroyed an iconic character and all its rich history. The hero, whomever it turns out to be, will not be that character of old, any longer. There is no Superman without Lois Lane. There is no Batman without the tension of Catwoman. There is no Wonder Woman without Steve Trevor. There is no Green Arrow without his doggish ways, and love of the Black Canary. I could go on and on. These are icons. You do not change them.

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Clinton, U.S.A. – “The issue of civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples is an issue of public policy, not theology,” says Rev.Delman Coates a supporter of civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples.

”For too long the question of equal rights for gays and lesbians has been mired in a theological debate that in my opinion is not suitable in a public policy discussion,” Delman further states.

“The role of the State in a free democratic society is fundamentally different than the role of the Church, or any religious institution for that matter.  The role of the State in a pluralistic society is to provide for the common good and to protect the civil liberties of all its citizens.  As a Christian in this country, I value my religious freedom, but I also recognize that I cannot impose my religious beliefs on others in matters of public policy.

It is completely legitimate for people of faith to debate the moral legitimacy of same sex marriage as a religious rite, but that question is more appropriate for a different arena; the theological seminary, the pulpit, or the Bible study group, for example.   In the public policy arena, the issue is simply whether gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and civil liberties as other American citizens.  For me, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”

As a nation, we have always held that the ideals of our Constitution supersede subjective religious beliefs and views.   One’s personal religious beliefs about homosexuality should not be the basis for determining whether same gender loving couples deserve equal treatment under the law.

To do so establishes a discriminatory and dangerous public policy precedent that potentially threatens the civil liberties of all people.  As a Christian minister, I believe my role is to live in my faith, not to legislate it, and as long as the State does not seek to regulate the Church, the Church should not seek to regulate the State.

Civil marriage protection for gay and lesbian couples in no way infringes upon the right of religious bodies to define religious marriage as they see fit based upon their traditions, doctrine, and scriptural interpretations.  Religious institutions have always acknowledged the role of the State to provide civil marriage for all citizens regardless of their belief system or religious background. Every union acknowledged by the State, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is a civil marriage, and is not synonymous with religious marriage.

Civil marriages, therefore, do not have the power to determine, delimit, or define how religious institutions treat marriage based upon their own values, beliefs, and scriptural interpretations.

Religious marriage is solely province of a community of faith, and there is no legislative act that can be imposed upon faith communities to acknowledge, sanction, or perform.  Just as the State has no jurisdiction over the theological beliefs, practices, and ordinances of any house of worship, religious institutions should not seek to restrict equal opportunity to others in matters of public policy.

While there are a range of theological views about same sex marriage, all Americans can stand united under the banner of extending civil liberties and justice to all citizens.  People of faith will not allow their theological diversity on this or other issues to be exploited for political gain.

The welfare of our nation rests upon growing our economy, preserving the social safety nets for the poor and the elderly, and creating a civil society of mutuality, tolerance, and respect,” the senior pastor at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church says. He is of the opinion that one’s personal religious beliefs should have no bearing in determining whether other American citizens deserve equal treatment under the law.

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Innumerous accounts of discomfort with security of mobile social networks for gay guys, like Grindr, have prompted the makers of Hornet, a brand new, second generation network, to make security and safety front and center of their app design.

This starts but is not limited to the next most important item after use of condoms to control the spread of STD, the knowledge of one’s HIV status and a reminder to frequently re-test, especially if the person is sexually active on gay social mobile networks.

Based on the positive experience of websites in Asia, Hornet is the first to introduce the “Know your Status” KYS campaign to mobile social networks for gay people.  In their profile, positive or recently tested guys will get a special marker, so that users are prompted to enroll in this purely voluntary campaign for a safer environment.  Once a test comes up for renewal, Hornet reminds people to get tested again, or their KYS status lapses to unknown.

Unlike most other gay SNS and Grindr, Hornet uses an HTTPS secure connection and SSL certificates as known from your Online Banking.

In addition, Hornet has integrated innumerous safety and security features into its app.  Unlike most other gay SNS and Grindr, Hornet uses an HTTPS secure connection and SSL certificates as known from your Online Banking.  It also gives users full control over a private portion of their picture uploads, so that broadcasting one’s profile in their neighborhood can be more controlled than an entirely open experience or map-based displays, making them vulnerable to hate crimes.

Within any app system that stores data, there are vulnerabilities, but apps like Grindr can make some easy improvements to move forward with security.  Hornet encourages the entire app community to make improvements and migrate in this direction, so that users can browse in a more secure environment, making our message today about bringing the ease of online dating to more users and sharing the market in a secure way.

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MGM Resorts International is among the nation’s leading companies for workplace equality based on its policies and practices relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees, according to a prominent benchmarking organization.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has named MGM Resorts to its 2012 Corporate Equality Index along with 635 other major companies whose non-discrimination and benefits practices with respect to LGBT employees were analyzed for workplace inclusion.

This is the seventh year that MGM Resorts has participated in the Corporate Equality Index assessment, which focuses on corporate standards ranging from policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity to equality in health care benefits.

“This ranking demonstrates our Company’s commitment to promoting human equality within our workplace as well as throughout our communities,” said Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. ”It is our business imperative to attract and retain the very best employees by ensuring a level playing field for people from all walks of life.”

The Corporate Equality Index 2012 report is available at www.hrc.org.

This year’s report’s findings:

• While the inclusion of sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies has become a standard since 2002, the addition of gender identity is now part of the policies of 50 percent of Fortune 500 companies for the first time, a growth rate of 1567 percent since 2002.

• The number of Fortune 500 companies offering domestic partnership benefits has increased by 76 percent since 2002.

• The greatest strides have come in area of transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage. As a result of new criteria instituted by HRC this year that is a requisite to a perfect score, companies offering comprehensive healthcare coverage to their transgender workers has increased to 207 from 85 last year and 49 in 2009.

“Corporate America is leading the charge for equality in the workplace,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. ”We commend the businesses that participated in the CEI. They understand that LGBT-inclusive workplace policies are the right thing to do and good business practices.”

In 2000, MGM Resorts became the first company in the gaming industry to launch a voluntary diversity initiative and in 2004 it became the first company in the industry to offer same-sex health benefits to employees. Earlier this year, MGM Resorts expanded the benefits of its health care program to cover counseling and hormone therapy services for transgender persons.

In addition to being a committed member of the Human Rights Campaign, MGM Resorts has been an active supporter of The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center), since 2002. The Company recently pledged a donation of $300,000 to The Center to support the construction of its new building.

Kobby Dagan / Shutterstock.com

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Just weeks after failing to collect enough signatures to qualify a referendum that would have sought to repeal the FAIR Education Act, anti-LGBT forces are at it again. Now they’re attempting to collect enough signatures to qualify a November 2012 initiative that would eliminate references to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in California’s landmark education law.

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri L. Jean have issued the following statement:

“Without support from deep-pocket funders for their referendum campaign, the anti-gay religious extremists working to overturn the FAIR Education Act couldn’t hire enough paid signature gatherers to collect the more than 500,000 signatures necessary to qualify a referendum that sought to overturn the law.

Having failed once, they’re now attempting to collect enough signatures to qualify a November 2012 ballot initiative that would strip LGBT people from the landmark law.

“There is no doubt they’ll continue to raise the false specter of harm to children as they try to push another discriminatory ballot measure. They want to continue to portray a false version of history—a version that intentionally excludes the real and historic accomplishments of LGBT people. And that is the REAL harm to the next generation.

“The FAIR Education Act simply means that children are entitled to the historical truth. They will learn of such notable figures as Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King, Bayard Rustin and so many other great trailblazers. Learning about these figures and the historical context of their lives will only give children a deeper knowledge of our community’s history of fighting for civil rights.

The lessons learned will help put an end to the epidemic of bullying and violence directed at LGBT youth and may even save lives. Far too many young LGBT people, who don’t recognize their own self-worth, end their lives while still teenagers.

“It is an insult to the people of the great state of California to pedal measures so blatantly designed to stimulate prejudice. If they raise enough money this time, they could succeed in qualifying the measure for next year’s ballot. But that does not mean they will win; we cannot and will not allow them to mislead the people of California about the true nature of the FAIR Education Act.

Our Vote for Equality program, which mobilizes volunteers to talk to voters about LGBT equality, will put its efforts into overdrive. Since Prop 8, we’ve learned an enormous amount about the difference it makes for voters to hear firsthand about the lives of LGBT people and how it influences them to vote in favor of equality. And more people than ever before stand with us today.”

About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

Since 1971 the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Their wide array of services and programs includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts and much more.

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Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain has come under fire by allegations that his campaign tried to conceal the role of one of his campaign staffers.

The issue revolves around Scott Toomey; he served as treasurer of Cain’s political action committee and is one on Cain’s top senior political advisors. It was revealed that Toomey was released from his former position of treasurer at Madison Pride Board because of financial discrepancies — he was released in 2008 after Madison Pride became aware that bills from an event they hosted in 2007 had not been paid.

It was also revealed that Toomey is the leader of a gay pride group in Wisconsin, an issue that is viewed negatively in conservative circles. Cain has previously stated that his belief is that homosexuality is a choice and following through with that choice is to commit a sin.

With Toomey on staff, an openly gay man in an influential position, charges of hypocrisy would run rampant and diminish Cain’s chances of becoming president. Thus, the need to cover up the situation presented itself, and aides were brought on board to ensure a harmonious story was told if anyone asked about Toomey.

These alleged actions only became public knowledge after Kevin Hall, Cain’s former Iowa straw poll coordinator, applied for unemployment benefits and in his testimony revealed the situation. Hall applied for resignation only after Cain’s campaign tried to get him involved in the alleged cover up.

In Hall’s testimony he stated, “That on June 9 his second day on the job, campaign spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael told the staff that Toomey was no longer involved in the campaign in any capacity and they should tell that to anyone who asked.

Hall said he learned weeks later that Toomey was still very much involved as an outside consultant despite what he and others had been telling the media and supporters.” Hall also testified that, “Campaign manager Mark Block told him June 29 the campaign would conceal Toomey’s continued employment by paying his newly-formed consulting firm so his name would not show up in disclosure filings.”

Filings with the Federal Election Commission show Toomey, of Chicago, received his last salary from the campaign on June 13. The Soarin’ Group, which Hall testified was Toomey’s firm, started receiving payments the same month. Hall’s allegations can be partially confirmed by Steve Starkey, a Madison gay rights activist who knew Toomey.

Starkey has been quoted for saying, “It was in the papers that he [Toomey] was the person responsible for that financial mess.” Starkly goes on to say “Toomey moved to Florida and went underground after the scandal. My research later found that Toomey’s promotional company also had been accused in court of not paying vendors.”

Court records show that Toomey filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and reported more than $20,000 in pending legal judgments against him from companies and a credit union.

With the hiring of Toomey, Cain may have taken several missteps that will damage his chances of the republican presidential nomination — not because of Toomey’s questionable financial past or sexual orientation, but because of Cain’s alleged involvement in covering up Toomey’s association with his campaign. During the hearing, a lawyer for Cain’s campaign did not dispute any of the allegations set forth by Hall.

Without dispute, this allowed Judge Bonny Hendricksmeyer to award unemployment benefits to Hall, ruling that Hall only resigned after being approached to participate in the cover up.

Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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A ban on donations of blood made by gay men, which was established during the AIDS crisis 25 years ago, is to be dropped by England, Scotland and Wales. Blood banks in England, Scotland and Wales will allow gay men to give blood, beginning November 7. The UK Department of Health made this announcement Thursday.

On their website, UK National Health Services Blood and Transport (NHSBT), included the criterion that must be met in order for a gay man to donate blood. “The change means that in future only men who have had anal or oral sex with another man in the past 12 months, with or without a condom, will be asked not to donate blood.”

This also includes men who have sex with anyone whose been injected with drugs, whose been with a prostitute, or who has had a sexual encounter with a man who has slept with another man. Men whose last sexual contact with another man was more than 12 months ago will now be approved to donate blood.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the ban was put into place in the 1980’s in an effort to avoid the risk of HIV contamination. The new guidelines came after a review conducted by the UK Department of Health reported that “evidence no longer supported the permanent exclusion of men who have had sex with men.

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) studied the latest details on relevant sexual contact in relation to the safety of donating blood. The Committee’s review examined the risk of infection being transmitted through blood and the ability to test donated blood for diseases before reaching their conclusion that new guidelines could safety been instituted.

Dr. Lorna Williamson, the Medical and Research Direct of NHS Blood and Transplant, said in a statement that “We welcome this review and its conclusions.  It gives us an opportunity to broaden our donor acceptance on the basis of the latest scientific evidence. “

In 2010, a federal committee recommended maintaining the policy preventing gay men from donating blood in the U.S. Acccording to CNN, this decision provoked “disappointment and anger from gay activist groups.”

“The committee’s decision today not only leaves a discriminatory practice in place, it also puts lives at risk,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in a statement responding to the 2010 ruling. Meanwhile, some groups continue to use the ban to justify their demonization of gays.

Just a month ago, Bryan Fishcher, Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association (AFA), commented about the blood ban on the AFA website. “I think this is one of the reasons where our argument is infallible…is the danger that homosexual contact imposes to human health.

I gave blood here several weeks ago and I was asked three times…have you as a male ever had sex with another male one time since 1977. If I had answered yes, I would not have been able to give blood.

The risk to the nation’s blood supply is so severe that the risk that active homosexuals pose to the nation’s health, to the nation’s blood supply is so severe that if a man has had sex even one solitary time since 1977 – cannot donate blood. That, ladies and gentleman, tells you all you need to know.”

North Ireland is also considering the new policies adopted by England, Scotland, and Wales and the recent findings of the NHSBT. It is expected that North Ireland will make a decision on the guidelines of gay men donating blood soon.

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This is another victory for the LGBT community, on the road to equality, as time is running out on the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in the U.S. Military.

“Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.

The 1993 law that disqualified men and women who are gay to serve openly in the military “undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality,”
President Barack Obama said in a statement.

Soon, all men and women in service will be able to serve their country with the pride that they for too long were denied because they had to conceal their sexual preference, Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office explained. “The demise of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ demonstrates that we should not write discrimination into our laws. Now is the time for Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.”

Even though this repeal is a big step forward, there are still laws that discriminate against LGBT Americans and their families.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense the policy was reviewed and accredited by Defense Secretary: Leon Panetta, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral: Michael Mullen, and President Barack Obama. Now those who wish to enlist and join the armed forces will no longer need to lie about their sexual orientation in order to do so.

“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has been a discriminatory distraction for far too long, and we welcome its repeal once and for all,” said James D. Esseks, director of the ACLU’s LGBT Project.

‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will end, once and for all September 20, 2011.

“Every American can be proud that our extraordinary troops and their families, like earlier generations that have adapted to other changes, will only grow stronger and remain the best fighting force in the world,” Obama said, “And a reflection of the values of justice and equality that the define us as Americans.”

Even with this new regulation, work must still be done to ensure it is followed and men and women who are openly gay, bisexual, lesbian or Transgender will not be subjected to illegal discrimination.

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Around the world, LGBT persons have committed suicide, got depressed, developed psychological and physiological problems because of rejection and stigmatization in the society.

As a result they are open to limited health care and employment opportunities. Although not so many of them likes being stigmatized and discriminated they still cannot avoid being LGBT persons because It isn’t their mind that’s pushing them to be looked down upon. Their mind is what is making them LGBT.

PSN Newsletter vol 5 (2010) Transgender Today reported from a Transgender interview that,” LGBT is not a fashion trend that anyone can follow it is a thing of the mind that they have absolutely no control over it and that while they physically look like men or women, in their heart they are more of the opposite sex”.

Haven lived in Thailand — a country with the highest number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people tolerated by society however, there is much more to it than being treated equally in the society.

Despite the fact that there has not been any physical assaults recorded or refusal of allowing same sex lovers living and doing things together, Thai LGBT cannot be civil servants, nurses, doctors, politicians nor can they serve in the military.

Many of The African countries like Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Liberia to mention a few being LGBT are seldom mentioned let alone declared in public. To be LGBT here causes a double rejection by your own family and the society at large. Also the strong religious and cultural roots in many of the African countries like Kenya, Cameroun, Republic of Benin and the likes complicate the LGBT community.

While these countries are members of the United Nations they are not complying with U.N. Human Rights Law with regards to people of diverse sexual orientation, and gender identities which can be categorized as: “(a) non-discrimination (b) protection of privacy right and (c) the ensuring of other general human rights to all, regardless of sexual orientation, and gender identity.”

The LGBT communities in the aforementioned countries operate in secrecy for fear of rejection, losing their jobs and family conflict thus, making them fugitives in their own lands.

LGBT cases are crucial around the world. Even with civilization it still seems impossible to overcome however, some Countries and Organizations have come to accept LGBT communities, affording them human rights notable amongst them is the legalization of same sex marriage in Germany, New York City, Massachusetts of the United State and the U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passed recently.

We call on other countries to emulate New York Supreme court, the United Nations and adhere to the words of Barack Obama who spoke on behalf of LGBT persons worldwide on the July 24, 2011.

I sincerely believe that “No culture or religion, translated into prejudice by a government official, religious leaders or lay man, should supersede the basics of humanity and respect for diversity.”

And also the fact that LGBT are a small fraction of the World’s population does not mean that they are wrong at least the majority is not always right.

Zherui WU / Shutterstock.com

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Tennessee State Senate passed a bill last week that would prohibit teachers and students in public schools from discussing homosexuality.  Children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade will not be able to discuss or ask questions about being gay. There doesn’t seem to be any logical reason for the imposed silence.  Supporters state that the measure is designed to be a guideline for teachers dealing with a controversial topic.  But, there are plenty of other controversial topics that are not off limits to discussion.

Opponents correctly point out that legislation is unfair to children of gay parents.  It could also lead to more bullying.  Bullying of gay students has become a nationwide epidemic more noticed after a rash of teen suicides last year was linked to bullying.  Opponents refer to the bill as the “Don’t say gay bill.”

The legislation’s original version stated that no elementary or middle schools will “provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality.” Republican Senate sponsor Stacey Campfield of Knoxville said some of his colleagues were uncomfortable with that language.  The wording of the bill was amended to say that any instruction or materials at a public elementary or middle school would be limited to age-appropriate lessons about the science of human reproduction.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Campfield said after the vote. “I got what I wanted.”

Campfield believes the language is still barring classrooms from discussing gay relationships because “homosexuals don’t naturally reproduce,” and he said it’s necessary because the state’s curriculum is unclear on what can be taught.

The legislation will probably not be taken up by the state House before lawmakers adjourn this spring.  Campfield said he would push it forward in 2012 when the General Assembly reconvenes for the second year of the session.  If the bill passed, Tennessee would be the first state to enact such legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Other states have had similar proposals which have been defeated.   A Louisiana law forbids the use of sexually explicit materials depicting homosexuality in sex education classes.

Critics of the bill point out that the new wording may cause unintended consequences.  Sen. Roy Herron, D- Dresden, said it “may inadvertently prevent the teaching of ethics, morality and abstinence.”

Stephen Smith, assistant commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, also said he’s unaware of homosexuality being taught anywhere in the state. He said there is nothing in the state’s curriculum standards that allows students to be taught about homosexuality.

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