"Sexual Orientation Bill" Re–Introduced

Special Report - March 12, 2009
The so-called Bullying Bill, which purports to be about safety but actually seeks to promote acceptance of homosexuality and transgenderism in North Carolina public schools, was introduced in the General Assembly yesterday. HB 548 and SB 526 both entitled “School Violence Prevention Act” would mandate a statewide anti-bullying policy for all public schools that includes language that would highlight specific characteristics of bully victims including their “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression. In 2004, the State Board of Education approved a policy requiring that “Each local board of education shall develop and maintain policies and procedures to prevent, intervene, investigate, document and report all acts of harassment, bullying or discrimination no later than January 2005.” The State Board policy was intentionally passed without enumerating individual characteristics so as to provide the strongest protection against any type of bullying of any child.

As introduced, HB 548 and SB 526 would require local school systems in North Carolina to amend their existing bullying and harassment policies to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression.” The effect would affirm and legally legitimize homosexuality, bisexuality, cross dressing and other “alternative” sexual behaviors in our public schools and would assure these topics would be discussed with school children on a regular basis.

During the last session of the General Assembly, a pro-homosexual “Bullying Bill” passed the House after an amendment to remove the enumerations section from the bill was defeated by one vote. The Senate, then, stripped the enumerations from the bill and sent it back to the House, where it was rejected by bill sponsor Rep. Rick Glazier (D–Cumberland). The bill ultimately died when it was sent to a committee by Speaker Joe Hackney (D–Orange) before the session ended.

At a press conference Wednesday morning, sponsors Rep. Glazier, Rep. Tricia Cotham (D–Mecklenburg), and Sen. Julia Boseman (D–New Hanover) attributed the failure of last session’s School Violence Prevention Act to “personal prejudices,” “political agenda,” and the belief by opponents that “some kids are just not worth protecting.”

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. Commenting on the introduction of HB 548 and SB 526, Brooks said, “Our public schools should have policies that protect all children from any type of bullying. Such policies are already in place in public schools across North Carolina. The emphasis in any policy needs to be on the bully and his or her behavior, not the characteristics of the child being bullied. The bully should be dealt with, through discipline and training, including expulsion. The insistence by proponents of this legislation to include specific characteristics in the law itself, rather than accepting a policy that simply protects all children shows their intention is to promote a political agenda designed to gain acceptance for homosexuality, bisexuality, and similar sexual behaviors at the expense of our children.”

Copyright © 2009. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.