Carlson

"This is a discourse about recapturing a romanticized lost American community, a "Father Knows Best" community where authority was respected, everybody "knew their places," and culture was homogenous"

Things like this above quote always interest me. People really do view the past with rose colored glasses. All of us have done it, myself included. As Carlson says, this vision of the past in romanticized. It never ran this ideally. Whenever I hear a "well back in my day..." story, I know that there are just details people fail to mention. Yes "back in your day" teenage girls may not have had babies, but "back in your day" they went to their aunt's house for the summer and swallowed all sorts of poison to induce an abortion. This put her at great risk. In addition "back in your day" didn't they have "negro only" schools and beating your wife after you got sloshed on your scotch on the rocks? Yes, there are things in today's society (homosexuality, pedophilia. Not that I'm comparing the two.) that were probably rarely heard 60 years ago, but that is because people didn't talk about it and kept it swept under the rug.

"Early in this century, the dismissal of gay teachers was legitimated as a way of keeping young people from being exposed to improper role models, lechery, and child molestation. Willard Waller, in his 1932 classic The Sociology of Teaching, argued that homosexuals should not be allowed to teach for several reasons. First, employing a disease metaphor, he argued that homosexual teachers represented a danger to their students since "nothing seems more certain than that homosexuality is contagious" "

This is another one that hits close to home. I am an Eagle Scout who is appalled by the BSA on the national level's policies towards homosexuality and atheism. For those that don't know, the BSA runs on a "don't ask, don't tell" policy for their adult leaders in regards to homosexuality. They believe that a homosexual male is an "Improper role model" and forbidden from serving in adult leadership positions. They still follow the traditional 1950s model of "homosexuality=pedophilia" which, anyone with any sort of intelligence knows is not true. Even though for the most part, gay teachers are not dismissed, and people do not think of homosexuality as contagious, these beliefs still persist in 2010 within the BSA. Please don't take this as the program actively teaches bigotry. Most of us on the local level strongly disagree with these policies. I have written a letter to national for example, but have received no response. Surprise.

"Some young people, particularly in big cities, are beginning 10 bring their "OUT" identities to high school. affirming who they are and asserting their rights."

This has definitely changed since Carlson wrote this in 1997. It isn't that "some" young homosexuals are coming out in high school but appears that "most" of them are. I say this with some degree of uncertainty. This is because unlike some traits such as gender or ethnicity, homosexuality is not something you can figure out just by looking at someone. I do, however, feel as though most gays, at least in moderate-left states of the Northeast will "come out" in high school.