Submitted by Contributor #2
Imagine you're a painter, a musician, an engineer, a nurse, a bus driver.
You live in Erie, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or Philadelphia.
You love the city, but the traffic, the smog, and the cost of living are beginning to get to you.
You and your spouse fantasize about finding a place where you might be able to afford a studio, a slightly bigger house, a place where the kids can play outside without worries, where weekend recreation in the great outdoors is just a stones' throw away ... Or a place where you might start that small business you always wanted to give a shot.
And you stumble on a brochure about the Arts Revitalization Movement in Oil City or an advertisement by the Oil Region Alliance about the great tourism and economic development opportunities in Venango County.
So, you plan a visit. You pile in the car and make the drive down the highway, marveling at the beauty of the Allegheny River as it winds through the forested mountains surrounding Oil City and Franklin, the gorgeous Victorian houses lining quiet residential streets, and the charming shops and cafes located in the quaint business districts.
You begin to think that your dream may not be so far-fetched after all ...
Then, you tune the car radio to 89.5 FM, the local "Christian" radio station. A voice introduces Diane Gramley and you begin to hear her rant about what she calls "the homosexual agenda." You hear her and the guests on her talk show make ugly comments about people you may consider friends or even a part of your family. You are shocked and disgusted.
Then, you pick up the local paper, maybe The Derrick or The News-Herald.
You see an article about racist and anti-gay harassment and discrimination at Franklin High School. The article mentions Diane Gramley's efforts to use local churches to drive a wedge between people in the community. You see that the Vice Principal at the high school who was implicated in the problems received a promotion. He's now the Principal, with even more authority.
You see another article about about anti-gay harassment at Oil City High School on the National Day of Silence, horrified to learn that students in Venango County would wear tee-shirts to school that say "I Hate Fags." You hear that Diane Gramley and her American Family Association of Pennsylvania, based right there in Venango County, stirred up hatred and fear in the community about the Day of Silence by posting incendiary "action alerts" on their web site and in local church bulletins.
You begin to wonder if this is the kind of place you had in mind for yourself, your spouse, and your kids.
You pile everyone back in the car and move on down the highway to the next quaint little town.
And you think, what a shame. It seemed like such a nice place with such great potential. But ...
4 comments:
If you bothered to look into more of the story at Franklin, you might discover that the alleged victim of gay harassment was a bully, and that the case was ultimately settled for peanuts because the ACLU could not back away from the defendant fast enough after they realized what they were trying to defend.
You might also discover a school where in the last decade students have routinely turned out to cheer and support lesbian athletes, elected black homecoming queens, and sat in the classroom of an openly gay teacher without comment or incident.
A quick phone call to Vic Walczak, Director of the ACLU's Pittsburgh Office, reveals that the opinion expressed by the anonymous poster about a case of anti-gay harassment at Franklin High School is incorrect.
Mr. Walczak reported that the Franklin Area School District acknowledged the problems in the high school and, as part of the settlement, agreed to implement diversity and tolerance training programs, conducted by the FBI's Community Outreach Division, in the district. The first such training has already taken place.
The school district certainly did go through the motions of implementing some training. The plaintiff in the lawsuit, however, did not win the several hundred thousand dollar award that he was hoping for, but instead only got a small fraction of the amount.
I would hate to believe that the school district simply "went through the motions" concerning diversity training.
What has been missing for decades in this area is a resource for the LGBT community. We all react differently to constant negative messages. Some of us act out. Some of us internalize. Ultimately if there is no support system, a feeling that we are not being heard, and no resources to help us deal with it, we will either explode or implode.
When you are young, it's even more difficult. When I was young I was angry and often acted out without even knowing why. Looking back, I realize it was my fear that I was a lesbian. There was no one to talk with about it.
I hope it's true that an openly gay teacher is not harassed. That openly gay athletes are appreciated for their talents, and black students are also accepted without reservation.
It's the unpopular youth that most need resources and understanding. Where do they go? Who can they depend upon?
Post a Comment