SC principal quits over gay-straight club

The principal of Irmo High School in Columbia, SC has resigned in protest over the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance club, saying that the formation of the club conflicts with his professional beliefs and religious convictions.

Eddie Walker quit after the school district released a ruling that "if a school has permitted the formation of any non-curricular clubs, discrimination against the establishment of a new club based on its purpose and viewpoint is prohibited."

One parent supported Walker's decision, telling WDEF News, "You're not putting them, like, oh, you know, you're lepers. But we've got to stand for what our foundation of our nation was about."

However, Brent Childers, executive director of Faith in America -- which describes itself as "a unique voice in the GLBT social justice movement -- called it "a shame that the principal ... decided to place religion-based bigotry and discrimination over his former commitment to his students and staff."

One former student of a high school in Florida that did have a gay-straight club explained to WDEF that "everyone has equal rights. ... This is actually a program to make everyone feel that they belong."

A transcript of this segment is available here.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• south
• carolina
• gay
• straight
• lesbian
• principal
• Irmo

[sk8nska]

I think GSA is great!

it helps prevent homophobia...if the issues are put out in the open and differences are discussed its not so threatening.

[jagwal08]

i WENT to IMRO and im a LESBIAN and u kno beacause i didnt have the club i went thru hell and high waters sooooooooooooo fuck all u ignorant ppl.....

[JoshuaRetamar]

How does it conflict with his professional beliefs?

[PsychoticNeurotic]

@tdbnasc3 What is this 'purpose' of which you speak? Either way, gays CAN propagate! it's not like their 'parts' are faulty! Some just choose not to. And who said 'natural' was good or useful anyway? It's 'natural' for animals to kill their young if they're scared, should we advocate that? It's 'natural' for male animals, in their quest to 'propagate its own' species, to rape females of the same species because they want sex. Is your problem honestly just that gay people don't want kids?

[tdbnasc3]

@PsychoticNeurotic At the time I typed that which was almost a year ago,I had little knowledge about the natural world and it is true that certain species do have homosexual behavior. However my problem with homosexuality has little or nothing to do with moral values whatsoever, I just can't stand the idea of people saying it's as natural as being heterosexual. The sole purpose of every form of life on earth is to propagate it's own. Good luck doing that with gay couples from whatever species.

[PsychoticNeurotic]

@tdbnasc3 Last time I checked, humans were part of NATURE, so your argument falls flat on its face at the first hurdle. However, if you type 'homosexual behaviour in animals' into Wikipedia you may be surprised to find how 'natural' it really is. The 'how would species go on' argument is pointless too. Are you saying that 'having children' is a morally righteous activity?

[PsychoticNeurotic]

@musiqman4110 No, homosexuality is a sin just like 'being jealous' is a sin. You can't fucking help it, so it's a ridiculous thing to punish. The only thing I appreciate here is Eddie Walker quitting, and getting his malignantly stupid, poisonous prejudices out of an educational institution.

[312cccwww]

@musiqman4110 Religion has no place in public schools. People should believe in whatever they want especially when it comes to religion. Fuck God

[GodCreatesGays2]

Would this woman cheer a white principle quitting over his school being integrated?

[Stevie2Sxc]

@musiqman4110 no, you know people with deeply-rooted trauma-induced denial issues. ex-gay is not the same as straight. straight is where you love the opposite gender because you always have, ex-gay is where you tell yourself you do because your mind has been systematically fucked with

[spd1311]

@musiqman4110 How nice that you know God hates homosexuals! have you met him!? I'm sure he's a lovely fellow.. To bad if he was truly benevolent and omnipotent he would love all his children and wish no harm come to any of them. Guess that blows that theory out of the water doesn't it.