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LAUSD Votes to Oppose Gay Marriage Ban
City Councilmember Eric Garcetti presides over a gay marriage in June (more photos here) | Photo by Ed Fuentes/blogdowntown
The largest school district in the state (and second largest in the country) took a stance Tuesday by voting to oppose Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that if passed would ban gay marriage in California. When a San Diego area school board voted to support the ban last month, many said it was not the job of a school board to do. The same issue could be said for LAUSD writes the LA Weekly:
The LA Unified vote, however, brings up certain questions. Just as many opponents of Prop. 8 are horrified that socially conservative school district boards in California are voting, or want to hold votes, to support the ballot measure, and wondering why in the heck are educators taking a political stand when they should be focused on the academic achievement of students, the same should hold true for liberal school boards who oppose banning same sex marriage. Reporter Jessica Garrison wrote an interesting piece about this predicament in the LA Times last month.
In a press release, LAUSD wrote that "this resolution is not only good for LGBT kids, but LGBT headed families and employees. We must work together to create an environment that supports respect and equal treatment. Eliminating fundamental rights--from anyone--is just plain wrong."
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