Sexual orientation as a protected characteristic in religious schools

[Anonymous]

It's a sad statement about our society that the degree of social tolerance and respect is assumed to be related to whether or not the group in question is listed as a "protected class" in some manual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is gay why in the world would you want them to attend a school that is completely against their lifestyle? Honestly, WTF?

wait, your applying for 9th grade right ? And your child is sexually active? In 8th grade ; aren't they just 14 years old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is gay why in the world would you want them to attend a school that is completely against their lifestyle? Honestly, WTF?

wait, your applying for 9th grade right ? And your child is sexually active? In 8th grade ; aren't they just 14 years old?

One doesn't need to be actively engaged in sex in order to have a sexual orientation. I knew mine before becoming sexually active and I suspect most others do as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is gay why in the world would you want them to attend a school that is completely against their lifestyle? Honestly, WTF?

OMG! Being gay is not a lifestyle! OMG!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is gay why in the world would you want them to attend a school that is completely against their lifestyle? Honestly, WTF?

Because it is not "against the lifestyle" in many churches, particularly those in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC and Maryland, both of which have plenty of out ordained clergy.

Never understood the "lifestyle" thing. Is there a "gay lifestyle" that I should know about? How is the lifestyle of a gay millionaire anything like the lifestyle of a gay single mom on welfare?

It is just plain ignorance. Not yours, obviously I am refering to the "lifestyle" thing. Unbelivable.

[Anonymous]

OP is a non religious mom of 3 yr old not interested in religious schools, aka, pot-stirrer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading over the parent handbook for a (secular) school to which DC was accepted, I was glad to see that sexual orientation is listed alongside race, gender, national origin, etc in regards to non-discrimination and anti-bullying policy. I was wondering if religious schools usually have that spelled out as well, whether it varies by school or denomination, or if they normally make no mention of it.

Seriously?Does it really ask that? Call me old school but at 48 to me that is just wrong in every way and frankly kind of ridiculous too.

I don't understand what you are saying. Who asks what? The parent handbook doesn't ask anything, it just has sections about non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies. I was wondering if religious schools have those too. What's ridiculous and wrong in every way? Having those policies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is gay why in the world would you want them to attend a school that is completely against their lifestyle? Honestly, WTF?

wait, your applying for 9th grade right ? And your child is sexually active? In 8th grade ; aren't they just 14 years old?

I'm applying to PK4. My child has nothing to do with my specific question, it's just something I wondered as I read the parent's handbook for a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is a non religious mom of 3 yr old not interested in religious schools, aka, pot-stirrer.

OP is the non-religious dad of a 3 year-old and interested in finding out the answer to my original question. Not trying to stir any pots, just thought this would be the right place to find people with children who attend religious schools and who could tell me the answer. I'm not trying to offend anyone's sensibilities, or debate the appropriateness of non-discrimination or anti-bullying policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is a non religious mom of 3 yr old not interested in religious schools, aka, pot-stirrer.

OP is the non-religious dad of a 3 year-old and interested in finding out the answer to my original question. Not trying to stir any pots, just thought this would be the right place to find people with children who attend religious schools and who could tell me the answer. I'm not trying to offend anyone's sensibilities, or debate the appropriateness of non-discrimination or anti-bullying policies.

Then just naive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is a non religious mom of 3 yr old not interested in religious schools, aka, pot-stirrer.

OP is the non-religious dad of a 3 year-old and interested in finding out the answer to my original question. Not trying to stir any pots, just thought this would be the right place to find people with children who attend religious schools and who could tell me the answer. I'm not trying to offend anyone's sensibilities, or debate the appropriateness of non-discrimination or anti-bullying policies.

Then just naive?

No, just a person with an honest question. I've seen churches with signs outside saying that they don't discriminate against gays, so I guess some religious schools may also have written non-discrimination policies. Just wondering how prevalent that was, for my own edification. Again, not trying to rile up anybody. Is DCUM such a powder keg that one can't politely ask a question without setting up a wave of righteous indignation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading over the parent handbook for a (secular) school to which DC was accepted, I was glad to see that sexual orientation is listed alongside race, gender, national origin, etc in regards to non-discrimination and anti-bullying policy. I was wondering if religious schools usually have that spelled out as well, whether it varies by school or denomination, or if they normally make no mention of it.

Episcopal schools have it spelled out, like secular schools, and have LGBT faculty. Catholic schools do not. St. Anselm's has a "don't ask, don't tell," policy, or at least they did a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading over the parent handbook for a (secular) school to which DC was accepted, I was glad to see that sexual orientation is listed alongside race, gender, national origin, etc in regards to non-discrimination and anti-bullying policy. I was wondering if religious schools usually have that spelled out as well, whether it varies by school or denomination, or if they normally make no mention of it.

Seriously?Does it really ask that? Call me old school but at 48 to me that is just wrong in every way and frankly kind of ridiculous too.

I don't think "old school" is what I would call you.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the school. Some have their non-discrimination policies on their websites.

[Anonymous]

OP, I appreciate the honest curiosity. I'm not sure why others are being such defensive jerks about this. It appears many student handbooks are available online. Here are a few.

https://heights.edu/dev2/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/StudentHandbook2014.pdf
prohibiting taunts of a "racial, religious, or derogatory nature" (so not calling out sexual orientation, but potentially covering it if school wants to)

http://www.stalbansschool.org/document.doc?id=998
STA covers sexual orientation

http://www.gonzaga.org/document.doc?id=1178
covers sexual orientation

Maybe others will help find other info.