I am not going to state if I support same-sex marriage, and I am not EVEN going to ask if you support Bush, but I do feel we should have opinions about this because as teachers we will encounter children with homosexual parents and possible homosexual students. What do guys think? How should this be handled in the classroom, because I have already encountered this and I have mixed feelings?

I am not sure how i would handle the situation but i would try to act as professional as possible. This is the childs parents and as a teacher we should respect their choices that have made. Theres nothing wrong with having two moms or two dads. You just have to deal with one less person of the opposite sex in that family. I want to teach fourth grade so i dont think kids will be homosexual at that age, but who knows what could happen by the time i start teaching.

The way i look at it is that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and if they want to be married to someone of the same sex, go ahead and let them. Who are we to say that two people can't express the way they feel in their private lives. I think that if I were to have students with parents who are of the same sex, I don't think that I would treat them any differently. I would try to treat them as I would any other parent. I don't personally agree with same-sex marriage because of the Bible, but I also don't agree with people looking down on other people for their beliefs and feelings. Although it would be a different experience for me, I would be as professional as possible in situations like that.[/i]

I think Bush's proposed amendment to the constitution is nothing less than discrimination- if it were to be implemented. Does anyone else think the issue of gay marriage is getting so much attention from Bush in order to force the issue onto the Democrats- and possibly split them on the issue? I think it is also meant to distract people from other major issues- the economy/ war in Iraq- because elections are coming up, you know.

The 14th amendment to the constitution promises "equal protection under the law". By not including "sexual orientation" in its definition it leads to discrimination against the gay population. Despite your opinion about homosexuality, shouldn't we strive to fight oppression- to strive for equality in the eyes of the law?

Last week, I attended a lecture here at ASU by Keith Boykin- an openly gay African American man who held a top position in the Clinton administration. He explained the contraversy very well. There are parallels between different issues in history- slave marriage, interracial marriage, and gay marriage. Opposers use the same arguments but in different contexts- God is against slave marriage/interracial marriage/and now gay marriage.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said "An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." He wasn't only working for civil rights for African Americans, he was working to fight oppression in every realm of life. The Civil Rights movement lead to rights for the poor, women's rights, rights for workers, and I think it should now extend to include gay rights.

As for how to address the issue in the classroom- it shouldn't be an issue at all. Simply treat homosexual students/parents as you would any other student/parent- as equals. The best thing teachers can do is to model actions of acceptance.

I think that first and foremost teachers need to teach tolerance for individual differences. Homosexuality should be addressed just like we address race, gender, religion, divorce, death, depression and every other topic that can affect our students. It is our job to set an example for our students and treat everyone using the Golden Rule “Treat other the way you want to be treated.â€

Well, about the Bush/consituion thing, it is not discrimination in his eyes. Marriage is defined in the Bible as a relationship between a man and a woman. If you want to call the man/man woman/woman thing a committment okay, but I don't feel as if it's a "marriage". Just my opinion. I agree we shouldn't judge them, but I still don't think it's a "marriage".In the classroom however, we as teachers need to address it just like jennifer said, as race and religion, etc.

Deborah's writing on this topic expresses so much that is meaningful to me. The MLK, Jr. quote is a reality that I believe, until we, as teachers, individuals grasp that - we each remain vulnerable to the criticism and judgement of "the masses" - whomever "they" may be at any given moment in time, if what we think goes against the grain.

In another class I have, we're discussing gender in the media. We saw an incredibly informative video called "Tough Guise" about violence in America. The narrator is the one who researched these shocking facts. Though I frequently make reference to when I lived in NYC - it's because it was such an intense existence. I attended on my boss' behalf, a program by the New York City police department intended to inform the clergy of NYC about the crime within the city. Hate crimes topped the list for violent crimes. The most dangerous part of New York City was not Harlem or neighborhoods where gangs hung out. It was the West Village; Greenwich Village because homophobia ran rampant.

Same sex marriages are not a minority of elite asking for special privileges. They are couples consisting of two, consenting adults (presumably) persons who love another human being to the extent that he/she - they want to commit everything to each other the way heterosexuals are allowed by law to dedicate our lives, property and privacy to one another. They - are each of us, living inside our bodies doing the best we can to make the best of what life and God have blessed us to be.

What does the Bible say about marriage being a heterosexual union? I am not asking to be critical. I have actually never read the passages that define that. However, I am also not one who believes that the Bible should be taken literally. It includes ALOT of violence, destruction and mayhem. I'm very interested in everyone's views. I am curious to see the Biblical references that come to mind that Bush thinks back him up.

NY and OR have cities that have joined San Francisco, CA in offering marriage licenses. It is looking like this issue will end up having to be definitively determined by the Supreme Court. The Constitution, it seems, should uphold the rights of the individual within our legal system. Religions could still ban marriages between same sex partners. I think Bush wants to focus on this because there is a huge Fundamentalist populace in this country. It may be that this topic takes the focus off of the economy, the war in Iraq, the threat of war in Korea, the corruption being discovered about Bush's supporters, cronies (Haliburton). If Democrats lose this next Presidential election, I fear the state of our country to the extent that I actually may look into immigration possibilities within the next ten years. Bush is taking us down the tubes - in a way that even my son's generation will be paying for when he's old enough to start working.

Anyone who is mildly curious, please check out www.truemajority.com. When you get there, please go to the tab called "serious fun" and watch"The movie that George Bush does not want you to see." It's enlightening. It's an animated short cartoon about the National Budget.

How do you make the links? I don't know how or I'd post it, on its own, now.
Thanks, for any response to that ?...

Debroah provided excellent points and statements that were very insiteful. I believe that if a teacher was faced with a situation with a student having two dads, instead of one -- I would handle it with a positive attitude. Maybe a teacher could incorporate a lesson on caring, love, and family. By doing this, students will be able to get a wide range of different families and view points, such as same sex marriages. Many kids come from a variety of different homes -- I myself dealt with my parents splitting up at the age of 10. I went through a hard time, but my friends and family were there for me regardless. If someone treats you different because of your lifestyle/family -- they are not your friend anyway! A child from parents of the same sex should not feel embarrassed, different, or neglected -- they should feel privileged, because they do have people who care about them and love them. As long as a child is brought up in a caring and loving home I believe things are okay. Any thoughts?

i don't want to go into too much detail on my opinion so i will just say this. Being gay is not right, but it isn't right for our government to try and controll these things.
As far as how i will deal with it. There is a book for children about this issue. I think its called heather has two mommies or two daddies. i can't remember exact title. If i were to have a parents day or something i would read this book and other books about different types of families. This is something i am struggling with. not necessarily the gay issue but certain things i disagree with and how i will handle them. This goes for religious differences, orientation differences, or anything else for that matter.

I don't think that homosexual students or students with homosexual parents should be treated in a special way unless there is a problem that needs to be addressed. If anything, treating a child differently could hurt more than help. It may draw extra attention to a student who does not want that attention. Who has the right to judge others on the basis of the Bible? George Bush has sinned in his life and that is because he is a human. If he doesn't like gay marriges that is fine. Prohibiting other people from them is a right that he doesn't have.

I must say that I agree with Deborah's statements, at least in the public and professional realm of society. Although I hold my own specific opinions on this matter, I do not feel that the school or the public realm is the proper place to express these views. As a history teacher of mine once expressed: "I may not agree with your opinion, but I will fight to my death for your right to believe it." I think that this statement was at the heart of a government for the people, of the people, and by the people. We need to realize that when we infringe upon others rights, we are ultimately doing the same to our own. As the same teacher I mentioned before once said: "Your rights end at the tip of my nose." This statement embraces the concept of respect for others and their rights, which is something I think Bush and many Americans need to learn about.