Saturday, March 24, 2007

Tootie Smith gets her homophobia on

Molalla resident and former GOP Deputy House Majority Leader Tootie Smith is getting her full court homophobia on. According to the front page of this week's Mollala Pioneer (not available online yet), Tootie is part of a group attempting to scuttle a Gay-Straight Alliance club at Molalla High School. See here for LTEs on the issue.

I called Tootie a little while ago to verify her participation. "No club based on sex should be in school", Smith said. She characterized herself to me as a "concerned parent with a daughter" attending the high school. I'm guessing Tootie is worried that her daughter will become a lesbian if this group is meeting at the school. Can't have that.

When I asked her if she'd ever attended a Gay-Straight Alliance meeting at any Oregon school, she said that she'd heard about the group from others and didn't want it at their school.

So in other words, no.

Not that Tootie gives a rip, but the Gay-Straight Alliance has a 3 point mission:

1. create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppressions,

2. educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues, and

3. fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.


Hmmm...not a single thing about how to have gay (or straight) sex.

I'm curious how any person with knowledge of this organization could oppose what they're doing. Creating safe school enviornments? Learning about how some people that are different from you could be oppressed? Fighting discrimination and harassment?

Perhaps Tootie just doesn't know what the group is about. I have a suggestion.

Tootie is the owner/operator of The Prairie House Inn, a bed and breakfast in Molalla. Perhaps Tootie just needs a few folks to send her information on the organization.

The email address for the Prairie House Inn is Prairiehouseinn@molalla.net. Perhaps some well-mannered, respectful emails letting Tootie know the importance of ending harassment and discrimination in schools for all students will help her understand.

Or perhaps a more tangible showing is in order. On Thursday April 12 at 7:30 the Molalla School Board will be holding a meeting where Tootie says this topic will be discussed.

Road trip, anyone?