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Loading ...Anti-bullying bill passed by North Carolina House
06.24.2009 3:00pm EDT
(North Carolina) An anti-bullying bill was passed in a 58-57 vote Tuesday by the North Carolina House of Representatives. The bill protects students on the basis of race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The bill requires that incidents of bullying be reported by students, teachers, and volunteers. The details of the reporting procedures and punishments, however, would be defined by each school district.House Republicans opposed the bill, saying that it set a precedent for expanding gay rights into state personnel laws, anti-discrimination laws and hate crimes statutes. They wanted the categories of vicims – like gay students – to be stripped out and replaced with a general bill that protected all students and defined the punishments for the bullies.
“Yesterday we talked about the need for this bill because these kids, these youths in school are doing vicious things,” said Rep. Tom Tillis, a Republican. “Vicious enough to convince somebody to take their life. Today we’re saying that’s not enough to mandate consequences.”
House Democrats said that the punishments, which included corporal punishment, were intended to derail the bill.
No changes were made to the bill, however, and House Democrats passed the bill 58-57. Six Democrats joined 51 Republicans in voting no.
The bill now needs the signature of Gov. Bev Perdue to become law. Only seven other states have identified gay students among potential targets for harassment.
Read the full Charlotte Observer story here.
antigay GOP Governor of South Carolina
has just admitted to the South Carolina public to an affair with a woman who is not his wife.
This story in today’s Washington Post.
He was unhappy with an ad promoting South Carolina as a “gay” tourism destination.
This guy was rumored to be possibly running for the 2012 US presidency.
No doubt the Democrates that voted with the Republicans in an attmept to derail the bill are also members of the Taliban Evangelical Chapter of the Christian Taliban Church. Praise Jesus. Or maybe the Taliban Baptist Chapter. Or maybe the Taliban Nazareen Chapter. These chapters are like flies, they are everywhere, under every “bush” (pun intended).
This my home. I am so proud of that. They have stopped the adding of a “Marriage Protection” amendment to the constitution four or five times. My government is working towards the future of all its people. GO TARHEEL!
A definite step in the right direction. Children have learned very early through the years that bullying or picking on someone because of the colour of their skin, or they be perceived to be gay, as acceptable behaviour. It is not, it has never been acceptable behaviour. Unless children learn early that there are consequences for such actions, then unfortunately these so called “innocent” jibes, taunting and bullying can and do lead to more serious hate crimes, and even murder, once these youngsters grow older. The time to educate is at an early age, without education, intolerence and hate spread and causes much pain to the unfortunate victims.
It actually saddens me that we should even need this type of bill period. But, I guess as long as there are hateful Humans that can’t be nice to other human beings then this is needed. Sad, but reality.
Yes as far as the worst of the Hateful Hypocrites are the Republican Christians like Gov. Sanford and others, they’ll never learn. “Protect Institution of Marriage” crap, but hopefully no one will notice I disappeared to go cheat on my wife! pfff.
woww, north carolina? im suprised this even passed.
Kyle, I know my home’s perception, but let me introduce you Tarheel Gay History.
We have elected gay mayors, alderman and state representatives. We had an openly gay man run for Senate without a huge issue on his sexuality. And we have openly gay judges and at least one alleged judge who won’t come out because of her senator grandfathers beliefs, allegedly.
We are an up and coming state with many many many universities that are bastions of liberal thought. If there was a state that the Equality movement could take from the opposing sides region, this is it.
Let us finally turn the page in american history on this issue now all we have to do is get this law passed in all fifty states now that will be the greatest task at hand !!
Thank you, North Carolina! Yes, I agree that there’s something wrong when you need this law. Someday it won’t be necessary, or at least it won’t be noteworthy because it’s so obvious. But NC proves that you can have a population of churchgoers who are still open to seeing the rights of others–even when their own church might say no.
It only passed by one vote? Am I the only one who was disturbed by this?
Off topic, but the “poll” just scrolled into view. Your offered answers leave a lot to be desired. Would you ask if Gay should be used in a joking manner? Shouldn’t take back the word faggot and make it our own to respect and protect from bigots who would hurt us. Many people embrace the word Queer and use it preoudly and defy those who would use it to hurt. Ther is a song in the Wigstock movie: You have to fight for the right to be Queer. Maybe we should fight for the rigt to be Faggots!
Hope to see you all at St Pete Pride on Saturday June 27th. Its Florida’s largest Gay celebration. Come on down!
Gov Bev Perdue has said that she would sign this bill if it came to her desk. Yes it is disturbing that it passed by only one vote and that many republicans and those six democrats voted against it. We are still fighting homophobia but we are fighting a good fight. This legislation proves that attitudes are changing slowly here in NC. We will keep on demanding from our elected leaders that they listen to All North Carolinian’s voices.
Recent imaging research suggests that bullies’ brains may be hardwired for sadism. Using function Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), images of bullies’ brains showed that inflicting pain stimulated the brain pleasure centers of males who are unusually aggressive, but showed no activity in brains of normal males. Check out this research at:
http://www.ethicsoup.com/2008/11/bullies-may-be-wired-in-brain-to-enjoy-others-pain.html#more
This is my state, and I am proud of them doing this. Now, just give us anti-descrimination laws and employment protections, and that will REALLY show North Carolina is really one of the Southern states that is slowly moving towards being more liberal.