GenQ
http://www.generationq.net/news/australia/newspaper-causes-homophobic-backlash-170408.shtmlNewspaper Causes Homophobic Backlash
News Limited's Daily Telegraph has caused a backlash against the GLBT community by falsely reporting that the NSW Education Department was going to ban the words mum and dad from schools.
News Limited's Daily Telegraph has caused a backlash against the GLBT community by falsley reporting that the NSW Education Department was going to ban the words mum and dad from schools.
The Daily Telegraph reported:
"TEACHERS are being urged to stop using terms such as husband and wife when addressing students or families under a major anti-homophobia push in schools.
The Daily Telegraph article stated that the Education Department was under pressure from an unknown "gay lobby" who were making "demands".
There are now fears in the GLBT community that this sensationalist and inaccurate reporting by News Limited will result in a backlash against the GLBT community and more homophobic attacks.
Comments on the Daily Telegraph website include:
"These minority groups should put up or shut up - they get the mardi gras - isnt that enough?
Posted by: Annoyed of penrith 10:00am today"
"This makes me mad. The gays may not understand this but I do not want to be referred to by my wife as her "partner", or by my sons as their "male parent'. I am a proud father and a proud husband thank you very much! Just because the gays are fine with the term "life partners', it is not part of my tradition. And an appropriate one at that.
Posted by: WW of Sydney 9:52am today "
what a disgrace - this is a joke! I'm so sick of minorities dictating to the rest of us how we should live. Get Lost!
Posted by: Jeremy Roone of Randwick 9:44am today"
"When gay couples out number the amount of hetrosexual couples (males and females) then they can start to demand what they want. When we refer to our married partners we refer to them as our husband or our wife or if not married our boyfriend or girlfriend that is normal hetrosexual terms. It has always been that way. If the gay community want to refer to their partners as their partners well go for it , but you can't then demand the rest of us to change just because you don't like it.. Most teachers are very much intune with their students and the make up of their families, they are there to also support their students along with their families in the home whether they come from a gay or normal family. What happend to the rights of the majority here not the minority. Yes we understand and accept that there are gay families that consist of mum and mum and dad and dad but the majority of familes are a dad and mum (remember that's what we need to create a new life - without a male and female there is nothing!!!!) and that is the normal family, we are the majority - majoirty should rule here!!!! Stop whinging and get on with becoming good parents, enjoy life and love our kids and help them to become better more well adjusted adults who accept everyone for who they are and not for what your want to change what they are referred to and start to become active members of our community - we are all only here for such a sort time!!
Posted by: Miss Lizzy of Sydney 9:22am today"
"I take this as a signal that they gay lobby is too powerful. It spreads the idea of libertairianism, which is dangerous as it does not place limits on society. We all see the effects of this in the various social problems evident today that weren't as prevalent in years gone by. Dictating that kids be fed this propaganda from the gay lobby is outrageous...social equality is fine - I don't mind gays, as long as they keep to themselves and do not promote thier way of life as being truly acceptable. This is also blatant political correctness, which shouldn't be encouraged as it prevents the ordinary man, woman or child from speaking their mind. This is teaching kids to be pushovers when it comes to standing up for what is the truth - humanity can only progress with hetrosexuality. Indoctrinating kids with this brings no balance, as it does not accurately reflect society. I'm ashamed that this country stoops to this level. I'm not homophobic, I just don't like people who think its ok to be whoever you want to be. You should grow up to be a decent, hard-working, good mannered person who values human life instead of a meek little person who has to tread very carefully in life to avoid being taken to court by stupid libertairians claiming descrimination.
Posted by: Matt B of Mortdale 8:44am today"
The terms boyfriend, girlfriend and spouse are also on the banned list - to be replaced by the generic "partner" - in changes sought by the gay lobby aimed at reducing discrimination in classrooms."
The Department of Education and Training director-general Michael Coutts-Trotter has said this is completely false and that there is no move to stop using terms such as boyfriend, girlfriend, mum or dad in public school classrooms.
Media reports that there are moves to stop using these terms are "simply wrong", Mr Coutts-Trotter said in a statement today. ACON have also supported Mr Coutts-Trotter's response on this inaccurate reporting by the Daily Telegraph.
"Public schools do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, whether on the grounds of religion, race, disability, gender or sexual preference," he said.