Teacher: Gays Have No Purpose In Life, Should Be Banned from Prom

A while back I posted about Pastor Will Coats who was among other things reciting some of Scott Lively's of anti-gay batshitery - e.g., gays were behind the Nazi regime, etc. - and surprisingly Coats and I have since been engaged in a dialogue part of which involves the views of gays towards "Christians."    I use quotation marks on the term Christian because most of these hate merchants are anything but true followers of Christ's teachings and, if they represent anything out of the Bible it is an even more hypocrisy filled version of the Pharisees so condemned by Christ.  Not surprisingly, I have advised Coats that the view of far right "Christians' in much of the LGBT community isn't positive and, if one needed but one more example of Christofascist hate and bigotry, one need look no father than Indiana special ed teacher Diana Medley (pictured above) who is loudly maintaining that she believes gay people have no purpose in life favors creating a separate, “traditional” prom that would ban gay students from attending.  It goes without saying that Ms. Medley subscribes to to the "choice myth" as I call it and says that no one is "born gay."  That someone who disbelieves the findings of all legitimate medical and mental health authorities is in a position of being a high school teacher is somewhat frightening.  Does she kick crutches out from under disabled students and demand that they heal themselves?  It makes as much logic as her anti-gay beliefs.  The New Civil Rights Movement looks at the ignorance and hate embracing Ms. Medley who obviously needs to be removed from her teaching position.  Here are highlights:

A teacher of special needs children in Indiana is speaking out with other Christian parents and students by demanding LGBT kids be banned from a Sullivan High School prom. When asked, teacher Diana Medley responded to a reporter that she believes gay people have no purpose in life, and agrees that anti-gay parents and students should create a separate, “traditional” prom that would ban gay students from attending. Sullivan High School itself is allowing all students to the official prom, but these militant anti-gay Christians are trying to get students to attend their prom instead of the school’s official prom.

Ms. Medley made the following statements to WTWO TV-2 News:

Do you think they have a purpose in life?' No I honestly don't. Sorry, but I don't. I don't understand it. A gay person isn't going to come up and make some change unless it's to realize that it was a choice and they're choosing God," said Medley.

Several local pastors support the separate prom movement.  "Christians have always been prepared for a fight. Jesus gave us armor for the front, not the back; we're not running anymore," said Bill Phegley with Carlisle Church.

I agree with the New Civil Rights Movement's analysis except I would have her permanently banned from teaching in public schools:

This is organized bullying of LGBTQ students and there could be federal civil rights issues here. Hopefully the ACLU and other civil rights groups will investigate.

Medley should be placed on immediate suspension and steps should be taken to ensure she receives the counseling she needs before she is allowed back into a classroom. She has no business teaching or counseling any student right now if she places her personal religious beliefs above her job and fiduciary responsibilities to children, and if believes that gay people have no purpose in life.

How can an LGBTQ student possibly be forced to be “taught” by someone who thinks they have no purpose in life and should “choose God” over being who they are?

Fundamentalist religious belief of all stripes constitutes one of the ugliest and most dangerous phenomenons in the world today.   The mindset of people like Ms. Medley isn't ultimately so different than that of those who flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  They simply haven't resorted to violence.  At least not yet.