Principally Gay Dinosaurs

A Globe article gives mad props to the principal in Lexington, Joni Jay, who is standing her ground on allowing discussion of same-sex families to happen in her school.

A few weeks ago, a set of parents protested the use of books about gay couples in instruction, making the 50-year-old Jay a target of radio talk-show hosts and Internet blogs for the second time in a year.

Today, two sets of parents plan to file suit in US District Court in Boston against the principal, the superintendent, and other school officials. The suit, according to the parents' attorney, will contend that the school system violated the parents' civil rights because they weren't notified about the books or discussions in class. Jay and other school system officials have maintained that the material was about families, not sexuality. Jay supports the school system policy to discuss same-gender couples as part of lessons on diversity.

I am glad that Jay isn't caving to the pressure. It seems that many school districts fold as soon as a parent threatens legal action against a lesson he doesn't like. It would be one thing if the school system endorsed same-sex couples, or discussed the particulars of same-sex couples' mating activities. The book just points out that same-sex couples exist. Wouldn't a parent rather a child find this out in a classroom rather than on Will and Grace? The article says that a number of same-sex couples live in Lexington. Wouldn't a parent rather avoid an awkward conversation when a child says, loudly, in public (because that's what they do) "Why does Jimmy always come to baseball practice with those two men?" Does the father say, "They're just friends?" "Jimmy's parents are godless Sodomites who are going to hell?"

I can understand that this is an uncomfortable topic for many people. Lots of people believe gay relationships are wrong. I don't get why they're wrong, but that's me. But I don't think ignoring the fact that gay relationships happen is the way to handle this. The Lexington schools don't endorse gay relationships. They just say that gay people can have children and make a family as well. A good parent would see that the topic came up in the classroom, and sit a child down and have an honest discussion about the parent's beliefs. What's next? A lawsuit about dinosaurs? Dinosaurs go against the Bible. As Bill Hicks pointed out:

"Fundamentalist Christianity. Fascinating. These people actually believe the world is twelve thousand years old. Swear to God! Based on what? I asked them. 'Well, we looked at all the people in the Bible, and we added them up all the way back to Adam and Eve, their ages-- twelve thousand years.' Well, how fucking scientific! Okay. I didn't know that you'd gone to so much trouble there. That's good.

You believe the world's twelve thousand years old? 'That's right.' Okay, I got one word to ask you. A one word question. Ready? 'Uh-uh.' 'Dinosaurs.'"

I saw the father that the article mentions on channel 7 last night. He was arrested for trespassing when he refused to leave the school.

A year ago today, David Parker, whose son was then in kindergarten, was arrested for trespassing when he refused to leave school grounds until Jay and other school administrators promised to excuse his son from classroom discussions about same-gender parents. Parker's son had brought home a diversity book bag" that included ''Who's in a Family?," a book that shows pictures of same-sex parents along with other types of families.

He had the douchiest expression on his face in the file footage of his arraignment. He smirked like he'd gotten away with something, and gave a thumbs-up to the camera. It made me sick. Parker's waiting to be made a martyr, waiting for Pat Robertson to take up his case against the Sodomites of the Lexington Public School System, waiting for Fox News to call him up. He's sticking it to that woman principal who loves the gays. For his son. He's probably one of those fathers who forces his son to play and love football when the kid would rather read a book or draw flowers because he's scared to death the kid being sensitive makes the kid gay.

It makes me sad for the people who actually practice what they preach and believe about tolerance. Five families asked not to receive the books. I'll wager that many more families let their kid read the book and had a discussion about it at home, where judgments on other's behavior belongs.

So good on you, Joni Jay and Joseph Estabrook Elementary School. Stick to your guns, go through the courts. I wish you the best.