Texas House OKs measure requiring schools with LGBT resource centers to spend equal amount on centers for ‘family and traditional values’
Public colleges and universities in Texas with LGBT resource centers would have to spend an equal amount on centers promoting “family and traditional values,” under a budget amendment approved by the House late Friday.
The amendment from State Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, passed by a vote of 110-24. From The Dallas Morning News:
While many members in the chamber cracked jokes and guffawed, the amendment’s author, Rep. Wayne Christian, said the University of Texas, Texas A&M and “some other schools” have centers promoting “alternative sexual practices.”
“I’m not treading on their rights to that, to teach alternative sexual behavior,” said Christian, R-Center. But he said they must match it, dollar for dollar, with advocating heterosexual, “traditional values.”
Meanwhile, the House defeated a proposed budget amendment that would have required school districts to report incidents of harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The amendment from Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, was defeated by a vote of 97-49.
Another example of what I am beginning to consider a systematic war against LGBT people by the Texas Legislature. Guess I need to start thinking about running for an office.
Texas schools ARE centers for “family and traditional values,” no additional monies need to be spent.
The traditional family values centers could be good for Texas students. They could focus on preventing unwanted pregnancy (and if that fails, providing access to legal abortion), promoting inclusive families where everyone is accepted, and “live and let live” attitudes. They could teach the traditions of the separation of church and state and the freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion. We really need to help families that have been struggling lately to find some of these traditional values.
Is this surprising to people? Texas has always been a backwards state full of bigoted idiots who want to preserve their “good ol’ boy” network and the “Southern Way” of life.
I’ve considered moving MANY times to another state but when I do I realize if I do that, then they win. I would rather stay and fight, regardless of how fruitless my and other activists efforts may be.
Acting on prejudices and expressing uneducated, extremist thinking is negative and harmful no matter who it comes from, Rep. Wayne Christian or commenter Offlimits Show.
Traditionally women are property in marriage and husbands can rape their wives with impunity. These are by definition traditional heterosexual values. In the bible, all the founders from Moses to Abraham to David are polygamists. Is this what they are going to be advocating since these are historic, biblically-endorsed traditional heterosexual family values?
Nothing uneducated or extremist about what I said. It’s the truth of someone whom has grown up in Texas all of his life and knows how things work here. It’s reality – not just in the heterosexual community either, also within the gay community – especially in Dallas.
To think that it isn’t, is uneducated – “Harvey”.
I think it is time that somebody start a “Texas Survivors” group. Far too often it has become embarrassing living in this state!
“The People of the great state of Texas are always safest when their legislature is NOT in session.” The late-great Molly Ivins
How is this an assault on LGBT rights? It is not shutting down those centers, just saying the discourse on campus can not be a monopoly.
Why in the world should we not have centers for traditional and family values? The LGBT community is mad because their agenda is no longer going to be the only one forwarded at our state’s institutions of higher education. As a student at Texas A&M University I see the effects of the LGBT resource center, as students are encouraged to believe that it is the only option for those who feel disconnected or out of touch with those around them. I believe people should have a right to choose the lifestyle they want, but they should be equally informed and encouraged.
Because “family & traditional values” is code for anti-gay – even though most gay people are as family oriented and value “tradition” as much as anyone else, it is a means of making gay people out to be “different” than “the rest of us”. The marginalize gays and they treat us as inferior. That is how it’s an assault on LGBT rights and you know it as well as I do. You can try to guise it as innocent but really you know it’s absolutely calculated.
So now colleges and universities in Texas with LGBT resource centers will have to spend an equal amount on centers promoting traditional and family values.
Great idea! Lets see how this will work:
LGBT resource centers: Activities will focus on fostering peaceful conflict resolution, acceptance and tolerance of others. The centers will promote the “Golden Rule” (as found in the bible) which says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Traditional and Family Values resource centers: Activities will focus on fostering peaceful conflict resolution, acceptance and tolerance of others. The centers will promote the “Golden Rule” (as found in the bible) which says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Way to go Texas! Now kids can have access to both ideologies.
Maybe they can use the funding to figure out why Texas has the nation’s highest divorce rate and Massachusetts, home of gay marriage, has the lowest.
Makes sense. If some of our elected officials are any indicator, then the pro “family values” people are very much in need of some education in their own traditions.
I mean someone should be teaching them that if you are going to oppose marriage equality on the grounds of protecting the sanctity of the institution, then you can’t be on your 3rd+ marriage and still have a mistress on the side. Also, if you believe that homosexuality is wrong, you probably shouldn’t be hiring “rent boys” either.
Heck, this funding might not be enough to pull this off.