When I was a teacher, I always did worry as to how parents dealt with their child having a homosexual as an educator. In my 10 years of teaching, the only issues I had were from fellow teacher being narrow minded, and one student telling HER father that I gave her detention because she would not be my date to a kegger I was throwing for the seniors. Oh, Heather.
I never had to get on my tall unicorn / high horse to say that LGBTQ+ teachers will cause no harm to your children. I never had to confront a parent or child about my life, not even in very rural Maine, where the two high schools I taught at during my career consisted of 300 students and 750 students.
Michael Neri, a drama teacher from Kidderminster, England who runs Talking Props Theatre School for kids age 8 to 13, had to deal with a narrow-minded parent. Let's see what you think of his response after a parent said that she was pulling her kids from her class because of his sexuality.
Here's the exchange.
What did you think? Do you think his response was spot on? Do you think the mother just wasn't ready to try to have the birds and the bees and the rainbows chat with her kids? Or was she just too busy thumping the bible to understand that there are other humans in the world?
How would you have responded, if at all?
And, Michael we love your donation!
h/t: good.is
That’s some TOP NOTCH
That's some TOP NOTCH reporting on something that happened THREE YEARS AGO!
https://archive.attn.com/stories/4340/gay-drama-teachers-response-homophobic-parent
https://mic.com/articles/129006/meet-the-gay-drama-teacher-who-responded-to-one-mom-s-homophobic-comment-perfectly#.GRFIrXGrr
https://aplus.com/a/michael-neri-gay-drama-teacher-response?no_monetization=true
https://metro.co.uk/2015/11/20/mum-wont-let-gay-man-teach-her-children-his-response-in-awesome-5514702/
https://jezebel.com/homophobic-mom-gets-schooled-by-gay-drama-teacher-who-d-1744123569
http://www.newnownext.com/a-mother-pulls-her-kids-from-drama-class-because-their-teacher-is-gay-his-response-is-epic/11/2015/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/skarlan/this-gay-drama-teacher-responded-perfectly-when-a-mother-pul?utm_term=.xwGk73nL7K#.ekmB4Z6L48
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/11/20/gay-drama-teacher-posts-epic-response-to-mother-who-removed-her-kids-over-his-lifestyle/
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/gay-theatre-teacher-gives-hilarious-public-response-after-woman-sends-him-homophobic-message-a3121466.html
In answer to the article
In answer to the article-author's question, I would simply have said that deposits are not refundable and let it go at that. Having said so, I absolutely loved Mr. Neri's response. It was, how to say this, "dramatic!"
Okay…I’m going to get
Okay…I'm going to get bashed, but here it is. In a community that DEMANDS tolerance, i don't see a lot of it when we want others to respect our beliefs, but we don't show the respect to theirs. There are so many differences in belief even within Christianity, from liberal social doctrine to mainstream fundamentalism. While i think the response was great, it is the response of "ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice" that always gets to me. I have fundamental Christian friends….while we've agreed to disagree, I'm not every going to call them ignorant, bigoted, or prejudiced. They believe what they believe and i believe what i believe. There is no room in demanding tolerance if we ourselves are not. My friend s and my partner of 42 years get along great! We have debated this issue, and, as the saying goes, I'm not trying to shove anything down their throat and they're not trying to do the same to mine. As to the donation…I personally think it was a slap in the face…(going to get bashed for that, too!)…kind of like… "B***h…take that!". My opinion….
Love the response! Perfect!
Love the response! Perfect!
Handled perfectly. I
Handled perfectly. I especially appreciate his mentioning gay & lesbian doctors, and would she research their sexuality, prior to them saving her child's life. How sad such ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice are still being taught to children by parents hiding behind "Christianity".