Bullying on Religious Grounds?

The LGBT community in Tennessee is facing an uphill battle when it comes to bullying and hate crimes. Less than a month after a gay teen committed suicide, a conservative Christian group would like to see the anti-bullying law changed to protect people who act out against homosexuality.

This is a new low for anyone who uses religion to justify abuse.

But that’s not stopping the Family Council of Tennessee from challenging anti-bullying laws that seek to protect school students from the sort of ongoing torment that suicide victim Jacob Rogers faced in the classroom. The group says it wants to “make sure [the law] protects the religious liberty and free speech rights of students who want to express their views on homosexuality.”

We’d be hard pressed to ever argue against free speech, but surely any reasonable person can see there’s a big difference between proselytizing and bullying the bejesus out of someone for who they are, right?

So much for “family” values. This is the same state that favored “Don’t Say Gay,” forbidding anyone to mention homosexuality in school.

Click here for a video report about the issue.