U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett flank my friend, Rafael McDonnell, communications and advocacy manager at the Resource Center of Dallas, at last night’s conference.
In a gathering that’s certain to aggravate some social and religious conservatives, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett gave keynote speeches at an anti-bullying conference held at the University of Texas – Arlington yesterday evening. It was the third in a series of eight conferences the White House and the U.S. Justice Department has scheduled since February to address the issue of bullying in schools. The first two conferences took place in Philadelphia and Detroit.
I say last night’s event will aggravate some conservatives because the conferences dare to include gay and lesbian youth in their discussions. Texas saw a rash of homophobic hate crimes in the 1990’s, some of which made national news. The James Byrd Hate Crimes Act had a tough time passing the Republican-controlled Texas State Legislature, in part because it included queer folks in its verbiage. Governor Rick Perry reluctantly signed it into law in May of 2001. While the act resulted from the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd, a Black man, by 3 White supremacists in Jasper, Texas, it was written to encompass all forms of expressed hate, including gender, religion and sexuality. It also would be used to address bullying in schools.
No one normally would have a problem with providing a safe environment for all schoolchildren, but such groups as the Texas Eagle Forum and Concerned Women for America got upset with that sexuality thing. It seems they and others would rather see kids bullied to death than to include protection for a handful who might be gay or lesbian. As a victim of bullying throughout my school years, I understand the implications of being targeted and the fear it causes. Even in this enlightened 21st century society, just being labeled gay in school – especially for males – can be a psychological death sentence.
The conferences, which were announced in February, will continue through June.
Chief Writing Wolf 