Friday, September 16, 2005

Gay in Madison County? Join the club

So apparently there's a flap in Madison County about whether the high school students can form a "Gay-Straight Alliance" club. I'll mostly let the article stand on its own, but I will say this regarding Mr. Chandler's "litmus test": Does it not "enhance education" for teenagers to learn about and learn to tolerate a segment of society with whom they will almost surely have contact once they enter the "real world"? It's at least as valuable as the clubs where they learn how to get along with cows (well, maybe not in Madison County). Just because you don't like something, Mr. Chandler, doesn't mean it has no value. I found little enhancement of education, for example, from the cheerleading squad (and quite frankly they were positively distracting to my education, especially on game day when they wore their little outfits in class) when I was in high school; however, I don't hear any call to disband them (well, not here anyway; some kook in Texas did suggest that very thing because of the Britney Spears-like dance routines some squads are doing these days).

Anyway, if a club follows the proper procedures and generally meets the guidelines for the purposes of clubs, let it be. No one who doesn't like it has to join, or listen, or even think about them. Get over it.

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