Abill that would permit charter schools to discriminate against students based on sexual orientation caused an uproar in the General Assembly last week.
Among several provisions, Senate Bill 793 proposes a ban on charters that discriminate in their admissions. However, sexual orientation and gender identity were conspicuously absent.
When Democrats attempted to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list, House Speaker Pro Tem Paul "Skip" Stam, R-Wake, questioned how "sexual orientation" could be defined. He handed out pamphlets with outdated American Psychological Association information suggesting that homosexuality was a mental disorder—to be classified alongside sadism, bestiality and pedophilia.
The APA has not classified homosexuality as a mental disorder for nearly 40 years. In fact, the APA website offers a pamphlet stating that these orientations "are not disorders. Both heterosexual behavior and homosexual are normal aspects of human sexuality. ... Lesbian, gay and bisexual relationships are normal forms of human bonding."
Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, who introduced the amendment adding sexual orientation to the list, said of Stam's antics: "I was embarrassed and somewhat disgusted."
This is not Stam's first attempt to link homosexuality to sexual dysfunction. In a 2011 press conference about Amendment One, Stam said "you cannot construct an argument for same-sex marriage that would not also justify philosophically the legalization of polygamy and adult incest."
Stam refused to speak to the INDY.
On June 26, Rep. Marcus Brandon, D-Guilford, the General Assembly's only openly gay representative, introduced an amendment to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the bill. His amendment was tabled.
The House eventually approved an amendment by Rep. Nathan Ramsey, R-Buncombe, with the language "a charter school shall not discriminate against any student with respect to any category protected under the United States Constitution or under federal law applicable to the states." Shortly after the amendment was approved, SB793 passed the House.
Fisher does not think the anti-discrimination amendment goes far enough because its language is so vague.
"If you lay out those classes that should be protected, those folks that should not be discriminated Charter schools could refuse to admit gay, transgender kids | News Feature | Indy Week: