Michigan school board members recalled for enacting LGBTQ-friendly policies

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/09/05/bigots-hate-queer-kids.html

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they enacted policies that enable schools to treat children with respect regardless of their gender identities

School board members did this? How dare they! Just who do they think the priority is in their schools?

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Thank you for the donation link @doctorow.

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The policy in question states in part "The Williamston Community Schools fosters an educational environment for all students that is safe, welcoming, and free from stigma and discrimination, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."

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pearl-necklace-lady

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So who has the power to dismantle the school board? The city commission? It’s probably time to elect some new members to that panel.

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Their priority is the people that paid to get them onto the school boards. Basically, lower-level Koch brothers at work.

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UK Bod not familiar with the US process here. Could someone kindly explain who recalled them, and whether any kind of explanation was offered? The system in the UK is not the same.

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These people need to stop with all the “safe, welcoming, and free from stigma” meshugas and get on with the real work- arming teachers and making sure that kids feel a swell of pride (alternatively, a cattle prod) when the national anthem is played. If they’ve got time left over after that’s done, they should work on restoring Scripture to its rightful place at the center of public education.

Kids don’t need “safe and free from stigma”, they need discipline, paramilitary instruction, and Jesus.

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Also, @Fred_Cairns: They are elected officials in Michigan, so they can be recalled during the election cycle if a petition to place it on the ballot is successful:
http://www.masb.org/the-basics-of-recall.aspx#sthash.4mQLwDbQ.dpbs

This, though…seriously, Michigan?! Sometimes I feel like I live in the Florida of the North/Midwest (Sorry, Florida! I know your reputation isn’t entirely deserved!)

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This, though…seriously, Michigan?! Sometimes I feel like I live in the Florida of the North/Midwest (Sorry, Florida! I know your reputation isn’t entirely deserved!)

Don’t feel too bad about that… We’ve been calling Wisconsin the Alabama of the north for a while now (with the blessings of our friends in Tuscaloosa.)

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Some laws and regulation are set at the Federal level. Some are set at the State level, and some at the local level. The Federal Department of Education and the State equivalents are parts of the respective bureaucracies and as such are hired and appointed.

Education within a school district - usually citywide for cities of any size - is handled by an elected School Board. School boards tend to have a lot of latitude in how they dictate the policies governing day-to-day operation of their schools.

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So, I just looked over the actual policies in question that got so many people worked up. TBH, it’s perfectly reasonable wording that gives the district some reasonable leeway in what claims of gender identity they’re committing to support, and how much of the budget they will have to commit to meeting their commitments, which are the only two possible non-bigoted reasons you could attack this for.

What a bunch of assholes. The vast majority of kids these days are pretty goddamn accepting of LBGT+ identities, but now their parents are being the bullying shits. Horrible.

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You have no idea just how close to the mark this (probably) satirical comment is. Williamston is one of several dinky towns in a rural townships off a stretch of I-96 between Detroit metro area and Lansing. It’s pretty much all guns, Jeebus and/or prescription drug addiction out that way.

@Oo_oO: Obligatory: Michigan, a slice of the deep south glued onto the northern tier.

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I live in the U.P., though. It’s more like a slice of Appalachia stuck on a Great Lake.

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Beats having to deal with the “conservatives” down here in troll country. :wink:

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I mean, I like it. There are definitely conservatives, though. Just not many rich ones.

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