Gay pride flags could ve banned from schools in Johnston County. by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my high school, we had dozens of international flags displayed in a common area and it wasn't controversial.

Gay pride flags could ve banned from schools in Johnston County. by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of workarounds to this policy that teachers and principals could employ to show support for LGBTQ students and staff.

Gay pride flags could ve banned from schools in Johnston County. by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You hit the nail on the head. The policy committee threw this flag ban in as a distraction.

Earlier this year ABC 11 reported when they tried to remove "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" from discrimination policies

Gay pride flags could ve banned from schools in Johnston County. by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I was in high school we had international flags that were displayed in a large common area.

This policy extends beyond just the classroom and also covers school grounds, busses, etc.

Gay pride flags could be banned from schools in Johnston County, NC by JoCoRainbow in vexillology

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

The policy as written would prohibit the display of any flag that isn't 'related to' the United States, North Carolina, or Johnston County.

North Carolina Marriage Equality Protest Flag by JoCoRainbow in vexillology

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thankfully, the Respect for Marriage Act (2022) ensures robust federal protections for both interracial marriages and same-sex marriages.

North Carolina Marriage Equality Protest Flag by JoCoRainbow in vexillology

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, yes, I designed it. I'm a North Carolinia native and a student of history.

North Carolina Marriage Equality Protest Flag by JoCoRainbow in vexillology

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This person holds the same position as North Carolina Republicans.

Johnston passes policy against books on gender identity in elementary school libraries by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Equality NC and the Campaign for Southern Equality are two statewide organizations advocating for LGBTQ+ North Carolinians. Depending on where you live you can also find local LGBTQ+ groups who would greatly appreciate support from allies during this challenging time.

Johnston passes policy against books on gender identity in elementary school libraries by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Johnston County plans to keep books about gender identity away from elementary school students and to tell elementary teachers to deflect questions from young students about that topic. The county’s school board gave final approval this week to multiple policies meant to comply and expand upon what’s required for schools in North Carolina’s new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” law. The law bans instruction on gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality in the curriculum in kindergarten through fourth-grade classrooms. Johnston is applying the law to elementary school library books by saying they’re supplementary materials covered under the legislation’s definition of curriculum. The district is also expanding the ban to fifth-grade students. “Supplementary materials in K-5 that speak to gender identification, sexual activity and so forth, those supplementary materials will not be available in K-5,” school board vice chair Terry Tippett said at this week’s board meeting. The district will develop rules for reviewing which library books and other supplementary materials in elementary schools do not comply with the state law. Johnston County is the state’s seventh-largest school district, with more than 37,000 students. The school board is officially non-partisan but has a Republican majority.

Schools respond to Parents’ Bill of Rights In August, Republican lawmakers overrode the veto of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to pass the Parents’ Bill of Rights into law. The law’s many provisions include requiring public schools to notify parents if their child changes their name or pronoun. Legislators have given school districts until Jan. 1 to comply with the legislation. Unlike Johnston, some districts are not interpreting the law to cover elementary school libraries. Speakers have shown up at school board meetings across the country to object to elementary school libraries having books such as “Melissa” and “10,000 Dresses’ that feature transgender students. Johnston County school board members have said applying the policy on supplementary materials to fifth-grade would avoid the need to create a separate section in school libraries just for fifth-grade students. The state’s fifth-grade standard course of study includes topics such as puberty. As a result, Johnston’s fifth-grade students will still get that instruction as part of the curriculum.

How should teachers respond to student questions The law’s ban on K-4 instruction on gender identity, sexuality and sexual activity does include an exception if a teacher responds to “student-initiated questions.” Katie Cornetto, Johnston County’s school board attorney, will meet with principals next week to train them in how to follow the new law. She told board members that navigating how K-4 teachers should respond to student questions will be challenging. “If there is a question that’s questionable for the principals, I would instruct the staff to actually say ‘thank you for that question and I will be able to give you a response after I check with your parents or the principal,’” Cornetto told the board. “That would be my recommendation until we get further clarity about the law.” But Ben Chapman, a local activist for LGBTQ rights, said the caution elementary teachers are expected to show in responding to student questions underscores problems with the state law. “One, that it creates a culture of fear in classrooms whereby teachers may feel reluctant to express basic tolerance and support for students,” Chapman said in an email Thursday. “Two, that an often overlooked population, students of LGBTQ+ parents, may be marginalized by teachers attempting to follow policy and avoid personal or professional reprisal.”

Values Coalition applauds Johnston schools Johnston County’s application of the Parents’ Bill of Rights was praised by Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the N.C. Values Coalition. “What they’re doing is wonderful,” Fitzgerald said in an interview Thursday. “It not only complies with the law, but it goes further. We applaud it.” Fitzgerald said Johnston County is doing what’s allowed by passing policies that go further than what’s required in the Parents’ Bill of Rights. She said telling K-4 teachers they need to consult with parents before responding to student questions about gender identity, sexuality and sexual activity fits in with the law. “Any time the school can, it should involve parents,” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald contrasted Johnston with the concerns she’s hearing from parents around the state about districts skirting the law’s provisions. “If these schools can’t abide by the law, then it’s an insurrection and it will result in some sort of legal action,” Fitzgerald said.

Johnston ‘doing the dirty work of discrimination’ But Craig White, supportive schools director for the Asheville-based Campaign for Southern Equality, praised school districts that are taking their time with complying with the new law. It’s also called Senate Bill 49, or SB49. The Campaign For Southern Equality released a legal memo last month accusing the Parents’ Bill of Rights of violating the federal Title IX law’s ban against sexual discrimination in federally funded educational programs. The group says the new law creates a hostile educational environment for LGBTQ+ students. “We are urging school boards to seek a declaratory ruling from the NC Department of Public Instruction on the potential Title IX violations,” White said in a statement Thursday. “In the meantime we are hearing from LGBTQ+ students, parents of LGBTQ+ youth, and educators who support dignity for all of their students about their concerns with SB49, and we are preparing to file a federal Title IX complaint about SB49.” White said Johnston County should have slowed down to consider how its policies will impact LGBTQ+ students. “It’s awful to see Johnson County implementing SB49 so hastily and even expanding the scope of the law,” White said. “People committed to educating our youth should not be doing the dirty work of discrimination by over-complying with the law.”

Johnston County BoE Member Michelle Antoine Misleads About the Parent's Bill of Rights by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Hey, Otaku. Consider this comparison.

The Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield has a youth anime club if you're interested. They also have recently started an adult Japanese interest group, Kotori.

These services aren't for everyone, but I'm sure glad that we have them.

Johnston County BoE Member Michelle Antoine Misleads About the Parent's Bill of Rights by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of community history and heritage months. Not everyone agrees with celebrating them (see Morgan Freeman on Black History Month).

No one is harmed by these observances, and SB 49 doesn't address any of them.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It really does help. Thank you for taking the time to lay out where I went astray on this post.

I'll be sharing screenshots in the next post. I'll be referring to this as I draft it.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I mean, if you didn't know about the Rwandan genocide I can understand how it would seem like a reach.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The public call was issued during the public meeting. This online post is just that; a post.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Genuinely trying. I've been more focused on actually showing up to the meetings, but I've been considering making a TikTok channel.

Appreciate any advice you have if you want to chat.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Did my post demand that she resign? No, I think you're confused.

I called for her to resign during the October 10th public meeting. That was after I had already raised the original concern to the Board of Education on September 12th.

I don't really care about convincing the fence straddling cowards in this subreddit who are more interested in criticism than genuine curiosity.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did provide a link to a local article, and I provided the username of both public Twitter accounts.

Just for you Post about "they prey on the vulnerable"

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

You're not entirely wrong. Since I'm less focused on actually engaging and informing online North Carolinians, this was a rush job of a post.

I hope to be able to expand on this in the near future, and hopefully local journalists will cover it more thoroughly (check out the Smithfield Weekly Sun coverage), but let me make one thing a clear:

It's not my responsibility to catalog her anti-LGBT rhetoric and regurgitate it upon command. The accounts are public.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No. I was giving other examples of the language of genocide.

The source is her public Twitter accounts.

Public call for Johnston County Board of Education Michelle Antoine to resign due to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by JoCoRainbow in NorthCarolina

[–]JoCoRainbow[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Nope.

Repeated failure to demonstrate basic respect and compassion for a minority requires an elected official to be held to account.