Nice changes to texan textbooks

[ApeTheDog]

From a list of 72 changes to high school health education textbooks in Texas:

Later in adolescence, or in early adulthood, most (people) males and females begin to form romantic relationships based on love.

The sex hormones your body produces may make you interested in romantic relationships with (others) the opposite sex. Friendships and dating relationships help you prepare for (adult relationships) stable marital commitment.

"If you discuss the issue of homosexuality in class, (discuss it respectfully). (Be) be aware that (someone in your class may be homosexual or related to someone who is homosexual, or have a friend who is homosexual.) Texas law rejects homosexual marriage. Students can therefore maintain that homosexuality and heterosexuality are not moral equivalents, without being charged with "hate speech."

(Surveys indicate that 3 to 10 percent of the population is gay. )Opinions vary on (No one knows for sure) why (some people are straight, some are bisexual, and others) homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are (gay) more prone to self-destructive behaviors like depression, illegal drug use, and suicide.

Source: Harper's Magazine, March 2005

[ApeTheDog]

Putting "Students can therefor maintain that homosexuality and heterosexuality are not moral equivalents" is as good as saying it yourself. I mean, this is nothing less than actively encouraging children to look down on homosexuals.

Of course, it's silly to act outraged about this, we've all known it was happening. But still, to see it in black and white, and bold like this, is quite amazing.

"Opinions vary on" is another nice one. Opinions vary on everything. There are even some nutfaces who think they can become immortal by putting on a ring, so you could easily just put "opinions vary on whether or not immortality is possible" in your biology textbook. That wouldn't make it a good thing to put in there, though.

This is really irresponsable. I can't wait to see what next generation turns into after being subjected to this.

[gypseymothlee]

It's a good thing they're correcting things like this instead of those textbooks that tell us that one day man will walk on the moon.

[Shai Gar]

man, walking on the moon? preposterous idea. WHAT? PEOPLE ARE GAY? THROW THEM IN JAIL.

[jread]

Texas is a frustrating place to live sometimes. I live in Austin, which is the state capitol, one of the most liberal cities in the United States and is the 3rd "gayest" city in the country. I find it so ironic that we are smack in the center of Texas, which tends to be conservative and homophobic. Ah well, I guess the free-thinkers have to have SOMEWHERE to go. They definitely wouldn't last long in a place like Dallas.

[INTerloPer]

Land of the free, indeed! I'm suprised they dont mention that gays and lesbians are pedophiles. Fags can be identified by their lisps and dykes by their butch haircuts. burn the dykes and stone the fags, kids, cuz they all have AIDS and they're trying to infect you.

[Shai Gar]

they are? oh my precious fingers, i dont want them to fall off. seriously that is all i know about aids, they teach us only abstinance as sex ed

heh.

[Eileen]

*weeps*

[Eileen]

Wow. Depression is in and of itself a self-destructive behavior rather than a cause of it.

*stunned*

Eff that bullshit, man. I'm glad I don't live in Texas (but I live in North Carolina, which isn't a hell of a lot better).

[Shai Gar]

still a republican state no?

[INTerloPer]

Glad to live in Canada.

[jread]

Glad to live in Canada.

I will be there or somewhere else one of these days if my safe haven of Austin is ever infected by the rest of the state.

[indie]

Texas is a frustrating place to live sometimes. I live in Austin, which is the state capitol, one of the most liberal cities in the United States and is the 3rd "gayest" city in the country. I find it so ironic that we are smack in the center of Texas, which tends to be conservative and homophobic. Ah well, I guess the free-thinkers have to have SOMEWHERE to go. They definitely wouldn't last long in a place like Dallas.

Just curious. . . where did you get the stats on the "gay" cities?

[Nighthawk]

Texas is a frustrating place to live sometimes. I live in Austin, which is the state capitol, one of the most liberal cities in the United States and is the 3rd "gayest" city in the country. I find it so ironic that we are smack in the center of Texas, which tends to be conservative and homophobic. Ah well, I guess the free-thinkers have to have SOMEWHERE to go. They definitely wouldn't last long in a place like Dallas.There is a sizeable gay community here in Dallas. Not sure how well accepted it is. Haven't heard a couple of my gay friends complaining about any issues. Of course there are a lot of "W" bumperstickers around ... particularly as you get farther north into the suburbs.

[Apostasius]

Good thing I live in Washington, the land of liberals.

I read an article in the paper a while ago that said they were adding disclaimers to science textbooks that stated (I don't remember the exact text)) "evolution is only a theory and should not be treated like it has been proven". Somehow I think creationists were involved there.

Speaking of textbook disclaimers...
http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/textbookdisclaimers/

[Heather Harrison]

Texas must be an incredibly frustrating place to live; I am glad I have never been there. (And this is from someone who has lived all her life in Utah.) Utah is another of those nutty conservative states, so perhaps I am already suffering from the same type of nuttiness and I have lived here so long that I have become numb to it.

Just like how Austin is an island of liberalism in a conservative state, Salt Lake City is an island of liberalism with a strong, open, and active gay community. (The gay pride parade is the second-largest annual parade in the entire state.) Even the current mayor of Salt Lake City is a gay-loving liberal environmentalist type and the rest of the state hates him, and the recently elected mayor of Salt Lake County is a liberal Democrat who is a cousin of Howard Dean. If not for this cultural island, I would likely find Utah intolerable.

My frequent visits to the liberal west coast are like a breath of fresh air; I am glad that region is within a day's drive of Utah.

Although we have occasional debates about sex education and homosexuality here, generally involving considerable public rancor, we have somehow escaped the evolution controversies. Evolution is a non-issue here.

Heather Harrison

[coffeezombie]

I'd rather be unemployed and living on the cold, snowy streets of Michigan than to ever go back to Texas again. Austin wasn't too bad, though.

[Eileen]

Just like how Austin is an island of liberalism in a conservative state, Salt Lake City is an island of liberalism with a strong, open, and active gay community. (The gay pride parade is the second-largest annual parade in the entire state.)


Haha, is it second-largest to Pioneer Day? I'm genuinely curious, by the way. I actually made the trek to Utah a couple of summers ago to study Pioneer Day(s) festivals in Kamas, Utah with my professor and some fellow Religious Studies students.

[jread]

I'd rather be unemployed and living on the cold, snowy streets of Michigan than to ever go back to Texas again. Austin wasn't too bad, though.

That is how most of us in Austin feel. We tend to stay within the city limits if possible.

indiejade, I do not remember where I saw the "Gayest Cities In America" list. I would say that it was over a year ago. I remember Austin was #3 as far as the percentage of the population that was gay. This does tend to get annoying at times if you're a straight guy, but usually it's not a big deal. I'd rather live around gay people than a bunch of yeehaws.

[Heather Harrison]

Yes, it is second-largest to Salt Lake City's Days of '47 Parade on Pioneer Day (July 24). And it is a lot more fun. I have ridden on a float in the GLBT Pride Parade twice (last year I rode on a float featuring Brigham Young and his wives, each one holding numbers - I can't remember which number I was). Last year, the post-parade festival attracted about 50,000 people at the City & County building, a mere four blocks from the world headquarters of the LDS Church. Now if that isn't a thorn in their side, I don't know what is! Unfortunately, the GLBT community center here is going through a funding crisis lately - I hope they can get through it and put on the biggest show ever this June. It would be a shame to see that die.

Eileen, so you have experienced Kamas. It is quite a sleepy little town, but it is the gateway to some of the best mountain scenery around. I didn't know they had much of a Pioneer Day festival.

Austin actually does sound interesting. One of my co-workers lived there for years and he loved the place, and my uncle lives there now. If I ever go to Texas, Austin is the place I want to visit. The rest of the state sounds like it is just scenery to drive through and cities to avoid, with occasional side-trips to interesting-looking local wineries.

Heather Harrison

[Eileen]

Eileen, so you have experienced Kamas. It is quite a sleepy little town, but it is the gateway to some of the best mountain scenery around. I didn't know they had much of a Pioneer Day festival.


Yep. Great mountain scenery indeed. I fell in love in the Uintas.

[Architectonic]

I read an article in the paper a while ago that said they were adding disclaimers to science textbooks that stated (I don't remember the exact text)) "evolution is only a theory and should not be treated like it has been proven". Somehow I think creationists were involved there.

Yes, and in Australia they are adding disclaimers to bibles that state (I can't remember the exact text) "Christianity is only a belief and should not be treated like it has been proven."

:ph34r:

[Vagabond]

Speaking of textbook disclaimers...
http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/textbookdisclaimers/ :rofl:
Magnificent...

[jimkopelli]

Quite.

They forgot "Due to the theories some scientists have about the nature of reality, this may not actually be a sticker. You could just be imagining reading this. If you wake up and find out that you are a butterfly, do not be alarmed."

[songbird36]

I have to include disclaimers on all my legal advice to protect myself from liability.

It's a condition of my indemnity insurance policy.