Question: State senators in Tennessee will soon be voting on the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality in public schools for grades K-8. What do you think?

Jack Baker, columnist

Banning the teaching of homosexuality is not going to accomplish anything other than alienating gay students even more. The treatment LGBT students receive from other students on a daily basis is already terrible, but now they’re going to be alienated by their schools too. This is just wrong.

Aaron Brooks, columnist

My initial reaction to Tennessee’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation was mixed. Sure, it would help with bullying, but it also inhibits the ability for students to confront prejudice. Then I read the bill. Instead of stopping name calling, it prohibits teachers from educating students below the ninth grade about homosexuality. Granted, children of a certain age should not be exposed to sex. However, I had sexual education in fifth grade. Hopefully children today are not as ignorant as my generation, but even if that is true, they should be taught about the birds and the bees (with Bruce and Barry included).

Nathan Fulkerson, columnist

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Tennessee is being sold as the “neutral” position on orientation and is another extension of the religious right’s faulty assumption that sexual orientation is a choice, and worse, that it is “unnatural.” Such a bill is harmful because students struggling with LGBT issues can’t discuss them with teachers without the teachers facing career reprisals.

Portia Kerr-Newman, columnist

I think the bill is pointless and unethical. Homosexuality is part of today’s society. Banning it from classrooms will only cause tension and hatred towards the school system. You can’t argue that the bill is taking a neutral position on the issue, since it bans homosexuality, but allows heterosexual sex education.

Alyssa Pracz. columnist

Teachers don’t need to promote or put a focus on talking about homosexuality, but ignoring it altogether and never addressing the subject won’t help students accept people for their own differences. Also, they may not know how to react to the subject socially if they do ever have to interact with someone who isn’t of the same sexual orientation.

Logan Short, columnist

Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay! Take that, Tennessee’s school rules.

Taurean Small, columnist

So the solution to homophobic bullying is pretending homosexuality doesn’t exist? Will homosexual students have to conceal their sexuality as well? This sounds to me like Tennessee’s school system is starting to get lazy when it comes to punishing students. “Instead of suspending these bullies, let’s make them believe that the people they hate don’t exist.”