Homosexual, Bisexual, and Transgender tolerance should be briefly taught at schools.

Allow me to clarify from the outset my intentions for taking this debate. My intent is not to persuade you or the reader why homosexual tolerance shouldn't be taught in schools for reasons of disliking homosexuality or anything else. Rather, my argument will focus on why it is not a school's place to indoctrinate children on social matters -- why they should strive for neutrality. --- [Motive] doesn't (or shouldn't, in my opinion) make the penalty more or less offensive. + I am not debating that either. The fact that murders happen on the basis of homosexuality makes homosexual toolerance a priority. Violence and discrimination is given to homosexuals daily and can be stopped. The Community United Against Violence, a San Francisco anti-violence advocacy group, says = Nationwide, 2,475 people were victimized by anti-gay violence, up 10 percent from 2,249 in 1999. = Attacks resulting in serious injury throughout the country were down 41 percent, from 363 in 1999 to 215 last year, while assaults in general rose 60 percent from 90 to 145. = One in six attacks nationwide were against transgender people. The group gathered its data from victim reports given to 26 anti-violence nonprofit organizations across the country. --- "The greater thing in my mind is the action. Secondary is the motive." + You say people kill people for being black, a girl, or Christian but racism is not the social norm, sexism is not the social norm and 94% of Americans are Christian. However, homophobia and heterosexism are social norms that promote violence and discrimination and it can be stopped. Social influences are very effective. My question is if you can stop or reduce this violence and discrimination with maybe 3 hours a year out of your kid's schooling, then why not? --- "1. What evidence is there to suggest that [violence and discrimination]would [decrease]? People said that if you took guns away from the people that it would reduce the murder rate. In many cities, in actually increased it." + I am a Libertarian. I love gun rights. I don't understand your connectiuon, however. There are no stats that prove this that I can find but I am confident that in schools where Red Ribbon Week is had, a drug free week, drug use is a social taboo. I go to one of these schools and many people have been convinced that drug use is bad and harmful. Also, there is a program in Uganda called ABC for Abstinence, Be faithful, Condoms. This program is designed to reduce AIDS because it educates people and makes it a social norm to be edeucated and take one of these 3 actions. This social influencing technique was very effective in that HIV/AIDS cases among adult Ugandans dropped from an estimated 15 percent in 1992 to roughly 6 percent. --- "2. Why should it be a school's job, particularly public school, to teach you about morality -- incidentally, their own biased morality?" + School's teach about drug education and kindness now and will more than likely ever stop. They have school rules that are identified as social norms to follow with some exceptions. And this would decrease homosexual geared violence and discrimination advancing our culture socially. This is an incredible benefit and the only negative aspect is 3 hours worth of class time, which is important, but not as important a reducing violence and discrimination against homosexuals and potentially other groups. --- "A public school should not be making moral pronouncements unless it directly affects the school and its students." + Homosexuals are just as much students as heterosexuals. That boy in Massachusetts died from a hate crime. That boy is dead. His best friend is sad, practically traumatized. The boy who committed the crime is facing life in prison. And these crimes happen all over the nation and the world on smaller scales and on larger scales. This can be significantly reduced. How dare you say that this does directly affect these students. --- "Invariably, you teaching that homosexuality is not wrong tells the students protected under the First Amendment that their opinion is wrong and is invalid. And I'll tell you what, if my kid tells me about ANY social indoctrination (whether its homosexuality is bad or good, or anything else) going on in her public school, I'll be calling a lawyer promptly." + And you'll loose...promptly. The Supreme Court decided in favor of education of students as opposed to keeping them in the dark because of their parents' ot their own personal beliefs. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of teaching evolution and not teaching creationism at all because it is the more fact based and beneficial curriculum. Not necessarily the better. But the more fact based and beneficial. --- "3. Thirdly, some people believe that homosexuality is not natural and is immoral. If we are all entitled to our own personal opinions" + Homosexuality is natural and is not immoral. So says most scientists who have decided on the issue. The American Psycholical Association is the leading source on this. They say that homosexuality is determined from pre-natal and post-natal influences. It is not determined by yourself and cannot be changed.