The Blade Is Following the Story

The Big Issue in our controversy here in Montgomery County over the sex ed curriculum has been sexual orientation. Gay people are a distinct minority of the population, and most straight people don't give the topic much of a thought. The typical conversation about homosexuality between straight guys would be something like this:

Joe: Man, I don't see what they see in it.
Moe: Me either, hey look at that chick over there.

You hate to generalize but I think it is safe to say that gay folks would like MCPS to prevail in this curriculum controversy, they'd like to see the school district teach good, objective information, they would prefer the school district's message of empathy, respect, and tolerance to the CRC's message of germs, promiscuity and child-molesting (with all these Republicans and preachers falling out of the closet all over the place, you can't be sure, some of them seem to enjoy being reviled).

Well, whatever, my point is that a lot of the gay groups and the LGBT people out there are keeping track of what's going on with the MCPS sex-ed curriculum. It's not a ground-breaking curriculum -- lots of schools teach about sexual orientation, in fact, and this is actually a pretty conservative curriculum -- but it is a ground-breaking battle. I don't know of any place where the community has stood up to the radicals like they have here, this hard for this long.

The other side has tried to define this as a battle between good Christians and sinful gay people. I myself have been called a "homosexual activist," which just tickles me to no end. It's not about that: this fight is about letting the community decide what kind of values we will support, and not letting some noisy little gang of self-righteous crybabies push everybody around.

I got a call from a reporter at The Washington Blade, the area's main gay-interest newspaper, this last week. We talked a little bit, I see he quoted me. Here's what they've got online:

A court ruled this week that Montgomery County can teach its gay-inclusive sex education lessons.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge William Rowan III on Tuesday denied a request by curriculum opponents to block teachers from presenting the lessons. Supporters said the ruling clears the way for the district to teach the lessons as part of its fall curriculum.

“It looks like it’s going to go to the classroom now,” said Jim Kennedy of Teach the Facts, a coalition of curriculum supporters. “And I’m glad.”

The lessons, titled “Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality,” explain concepts such as sexual identity and orientation to students in grades eight and 10 using what supporters say is nonjudgmental language.Maryland court allows gay-inclusive sex ed lessons: Lessons are titled 'Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality'

Yes, I'm glad. I guess that's a fairly direct and obvious statement. It's been a long time, and remember, we only got into this three years ago, this stupid fight has been going on longer than that.

And again, yes, this should clear the way. The classes will be held this semester.

Opponents have argued the lessons violate laws protecting free speech and religion.

But state officials, in a review earlier this year of the school board’s decision to enact the lessons, said they would “not second guess the appropriateness of the local board’s decision.”

Undeterred by the state’s decision, curriculum opponents appealed their case to Montgomery County Circuit Court.

In a 15-page motion, opponents say the curriculum wrongly teaches that sexual orientation is “innate,” shows “intolerance and hostility toward the ex-gay community,” and fails to note that gender identity disorder is listed as an illness in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Tuesday’s ruling rejected that motion. John Garza, an attorney for curriculum opponents Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum and Parents & Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays and Family Leader Network, could not immediately be reached for comment.

(This is an opportunity to flip over to another article, where The Examiner did get hold of a CRC spokesperson, Michelle Turner:

CRC lawyer John Garza could not be reached Tuesday. CRC member Michelle Turner said she was “very surprised” by the ruling considering the state Court of Appeals’ ban on same-sex marriage.

“We may have lost the battle but we are not giving up the war,” Turner said.

You wonder how "surprised" they could be by now, after all these rulings against them.)

Back to The Blade:

But Kennedy said the ruling is yet another blow against curriculum opponents.

“You have to figure, the county-level school board and superintendent approved it, and then it was appealed to the state, and the state school board and state superintendent separately approved it, and then they tried to appeal that, and now the court has said no — they declined to issue a stay,” he said.

“So what is that? About five strikes?”

John Garza tells Fox News it's going all the way to the Supreme Court. Michelle Turner tells The Examiner they're "not giving up on the war."

Look, people, it isn't a matter of giving up any more.