More Discussions With the Humanists

I was reading the Humanist News blog again tonight (I do so from time-to-time in order to dialog with them), and I ran across this posting:

A provision requiring that textbooks describe the significant accomplishments of gays and lesbians in United States history has been removed from a California bill. The bill now only prohibits teachings and activities that "reflect adversely" on individuals based on sexual orientation.

While I applaud the state's effort to include protection for gays and lesbians in their existing anti-discrimination law, denying the achievements of the gay rights movement in America by excluding it from school textbooks is detrimental to all students. History books recall the struggles of the women's right to vote in the early 20th century and the civil rights movement in the 1960s. How is this any different?

Politicians can't hide the truth forever. The gay rights movement plays a critical role in our nation's history and it deserves the same respect and prominence in history textbooks as other movements that fought for equality and rights for all Americans.

- Maggie

I generally get a frank but friendly response to my comments on the posts at their site, and I try to be equally amiable but direct. I'm not sure what kind of response I will get after the comment I left this time, but you can click on the link to the article above and find out if you are so inclined. My comment was as follows:

HOW FAR DO WE GO?
I do not mean to be crude or disrespectful to anybody here. Feel free to delete my comment if you find it offensive, but what in the world does a person's sexual orientation have to do with their service or accomplishments for this country? Do we need to go back through history and find those who were born with a bestiality gene and make sure that we recognize them in our history books as well? If they did something noteworthy in history, then let's recognize them. We don't need to point out they were gay or lesbian (or whatever you call a person who is into bestiality) just because it is politically correct to show that we are tolerant of people and that we are no longer allowed to have an opinion on what is right and wrong. Let's recognize a person's achievements based on the merits of that achievement and leave the rest out.

- Rob