I had dinner with some friends last night at Gardel’s. It was lovely.
There was a man in our party who works as a teacher here in LAUSD. Despite the pay cuts, layoffs and daily violence he faces, he did not complain to me about of any of that. He did tell me that he is being persecuted by the parent of one of his students for being gay. She made up stuff about him, forced an investigation and got her totally untrue rumors spread thoroughly about the school.
In short he has been made to suffer by a liar who faces no consequences.
I know what’s wrong with her, but what the hell is wrong with LAUSD?
Gay people don’t have rights in this country. We are not citizens. We are treated almost daily to the bigoted and outrageous claims and statements of people who have nothing to fear in making them. Right wing pundits can call a politician a faggot and still have a career. Saying that something is Gay is a commonly used term of derision. Telling the truth about your sexuality can get you fired from a Federal job.
There was a time, not too long ago, when a black man could be lynched for “leering” at a white woman. Today the person making any such claim would be suspect, not the man. My friend, whose career is being impacted by the false charges of this bigot, is on the same limb. There may be no rope involved, but threatening someone’s livelihood with false claims is threatening his life.
Will the cities of this country have to be burned again in order to expand civil rights to include all Americans?
Maybe if we funded education the way we fund the military, we’d be smart enough to learn from our mistakes. Who knows, maybe we’d be so smart we’d no longer need a military.
We’ll certainly get no smarter if a man who’s working in dire conditions, at reduced pay, to help educate the child of this ignorant woman, is forced out of his profession because of lies, bigotry and the systemic refusal of this country to offer equal protection under the law.
Just in case you’re wondering its:
Ramon C. Cortines
Superintendent, LAUSD
333 S. Beaudry Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90017
2123-241-7000
Email and contact details for the school board can be found at:
I’m putting my letter together now.
This is repugnant and it needs to stop. Shame on LAUSD. (Reminds me of being sexually assaulted in 8th grade. Went on for MONTHS. I had bruises on my body. When I went to the school office for help, my principal, a fine chap employed by LAUSD, asked me if I was wearing attire that encouraged that kind of treatment. INSANITY!)
Eric, tell your friend that people he doesn’t even know love him, are on his side, and will stand up for him.
xo
Ella
THis is really repulsive and outrageous. My keyboard will be very active.
And Eric, I’m half-begging here: please, run for mayor/governor! We could really use someone like you in office.
Until people start standing up not only for themselves but for those around them who are treated unfairly, the world will never change. As long as we are afraid of saying something or stepping between two people in an incident, then there will always be bigotry and there will always be people who use it to get what they want, which is usually just to hurt a person just because of the way they are. Is it “Pretty is as pretty does…”, or “Stupid is as stupid does…”? I guess they both work, and until we educate people and show them that people are just people, things will never change.
OK… this is how it is… I am going to go out on a huge limb here.. i am a white/hetero/female/married/registered republican.. but that does not define me or give you any “inkling” at all as to what I am all about.
What people don’t understand is that being gay or lesbian has nothing to do with or about the SEX act.. it is something you are born to be. You can’t make anyone gay or lesbian by being a friend or co-worker..you can’t make my child gay by teaching them in school.. you are not going to moleste my child because you are gay or lesbian. ok, i have vented.. did not edit …i am all over the place here but i am just hurting inside and forgive my hostility towards ignorance.. Finally, I think everyone is born with gay/lesbian tendencies some just go one way and others the other way.
Wow, I just realized from the Orientation flyer: he’s actually the superintendent of the high school I’m going to.