Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost (1923)

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

I don’t have a lot to write about, but I love the poetry of Robert Frost.  I hope that you enjoy this Autumn themed poem.  I will get a little more inspiration later, until them, enjoy this short bit of poetry. –JB

Moment of Zen: A Great Cup of Coffee

In Mourning

The above image is of a statue known as the “Mourning Angel.”  After Tuesday’s election, that is the way I feel.  Only four of the candidates that I voted for won their elections.  Two were the only Republicans I will vote for, and the other two were unopposed.  I find that terribly saddening.

There were several elections around the country that I found to be quite upsetting, but one in particular I found to be truly tragic.  Congressman Gene Taylor of the 4th Congressional District of Mississippi lost his re-election bid, only because he was a Democrat.  Taylor was probably the most conservative Democrat in Congress, though make no bones about it, he was a Democrat.  For 21 years he has worked tirelessly for his district.  During Hurricane Katrina, when his house was destroyed (his district is the coastal district of Mississippi), he was one of the most vocal politicians about the slow reaction time of the government to help the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  He was a tireless advocate of all of his constituents, and I doubt anyone could find anything disparaging to say about him other than that he is a Democrat.  In my opinion, Mississippi has suffered one of its greatest tragedies in its history.

Election Day

November 2, 2010 is a very special day if you live in the United States of America.  It is election day.  Besides white landowners, the ancestors everyone in this country has had to fight to gain the right to vote.  We all now have the right to vote.  Use that right responsibly.  Understand how important this election is.  So many people I know are going to the polls to vote against the Democrats (I live in a staunchly conservative area of the South).  It makes me almost want to cry.  We have finally after decades of Republican Congressmen finally elected a Democrat to Congress in out District, now his job is in jeopardy.  Even very conservative Blue Dog Democrats (much of which I agree with) are going to be replaced with right-wing conservative nut cases who care nothing about the people and only want to remove Pelosi as Speaker of the House and replace her with someone in the Republican party who is even more decisive.  I honestly don’t think Pelosi is the best person to be leading the House of Representatives because of her divisive politics.  Too much of politics is divisive.  Politicians and special interest groups campaign about what they are against.  I would much rather hear what you are for.  Why can’t we have one positive campaign?

This election is also much more than just about who controls Congress.  Control of Congress can be a two year deal and who knows what can happen in the next two years.  It is unlikely that the Republicans will gain a supermajority in Congress and thus any legislation they push through can be vetoed by the President and cannot be overridden.  Thus we will be at a standstill.  We need more moderates in Congress who can work across party lines and get things done.  We don’t need one party who will ram legislation down our throats, even when America is very vocal against it.

As I said, this election is much more than just about who controls Congress. In many of the states we are electing new governors.  It is these governors who will be given the chance to redraw Congressional districts, most of whom will redraw lines to favor their own party politics.  These governors will not only affect the next four years but also the next ten years.

I don’t have the answers about politics.  I know there are several of my readers who are much more informed than I am.  I am only a government teacher who tries to teach my students to be responsible citizens.  I am not trying to influence your vote, but I do ask that you vote responsibly.  I hope that you have researched the candidates that you truly know what your candidate is about and what they stand for, not just what they stand against.  Vote smart, vote responsibly, and do what you truly believe is best for your country.

Happy Halloween: Movie Review Special

HELLBENT is the terrifying original feature from writer/ director Paul Etheredge-Ouzts and Joseph Wolf, the co-creator of such horror classics as Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Taking place at the famed West Hollywood Halloween Carnival, there is a serial killer on the loose. A group of four gay friends will have to fight for their lives to make it through a night where flamboyant costumes, beautiful people, drugs, music, dancing and sex are everywhere.
A wild, relentless ride that combines winning and appealing characters, unexpected surprises, and shocking scares, HELLBENT is a refreshing new classic for the horror genre.


Since I first saw this movie, a real gay horror movie, (not one of those straight boys in their underwear horror movies that David DeCoteau has made so many of), I have watched this movie every Halloween.  It’s scary with a lot of eye candy, what more could you ask for on Halloween.
Tonight, I might also add another hot horror movie, which is considered one of the Top 5 Unintentional Gay movies on Cracked.com.  Ranking #4 on their list is The Covenant from 2006:
#4. The Covenant (2006)

Summary:
Caleb is the leader of a gang of "undercover" male witches who spend a lot of time showering together. He is obsessively targeted by a mysterious stranger, Chase, the new kid at their exclusive private school.
We don't want to read too much into the fact that the school's female students are featured mostly as blurry, indistinct figures in the background. Why read anything at all when we have an all-male naked locker room fight scene to watch?

"I'm gonna cast a magic spell. A magic ass spell. On your ass."

Yes, it's the classic story of male friendship: One man defends another in a naked brawl, sparked when one of the men is called gay. Our memory is a little hazy, but we're fairly certain that's how Mel Gibson met Danny Glover in the first Lethal Weapon.
After their bond if forged through butt-naked combat, Chase and Caleb hit some bars together and engage in extended male swimming competitions while wearing tiny, tiny shorts. Their relationship reaches its climax when Caleb discovers the secret that Chase hides away from the world in the clos ... cupboard deep within his soul. We're of course talking about the fact that Chase is also an undercover witch.
Chase becomes desperate to consume Caleb's magic, when he learns that Caleb has a special magic that will only fully develop once he turns 18. Chase stalks him, threatens his friends and eventually holds him down and kisses him.

"This is how we steal magic, right?"

This brings us to the final conflict, and the point at which the film pretty much whips the audience in the face with the homoerotic symbolism: In the climactic scene, the two men hurl magic translucent white globs of power at each other as Chase begs for Caleb's consent.
Best Line:
"How about I make you my wi-atch?"
Wait, Are You Sure This is "Unintentional"?

"Be careful, my magic is very sticky and if it gets in your hair, you'll never get it out."
In this case, at least, all of the homoerotic subtext lurking just beneath the surface (and sometimes prominently above it) seems to be a strange, misguided attempt to appeal to the young women who this film was plainly aimed at. The filmmakers must have spent some time in some chat rooms, and decided that homoerotic fanservice is all that is needed to sell tickets in these modern times.
To be fair, the obligatory girl-girl make-out scenes in modern slasher flicks demonstrates that producers don't have a much higher opinion of male horror fans.
Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_17097_the-5-most-unintentionally-gay-horror-movies.html#ixzz13yFccdAH

October Is GLBT History Month: Finally

Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady
b.  October 11, 1884
d.  November 7, 1962
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Eleanor Roosevelt transformed the role of First Lady. She served as a diplomat and was a tireless champion of international human rights.
Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family in New York City. Both her parents died before she was 10; thereafter, she moved in with her grandmother in upstate New York. At the age of 15, she lived in England, where she learned to speak French and Italian fluently.
Soon after her return to New York, Roosevelt met her future husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her father’s fifth cousin. Franklin was attending Columbia Law School. The couple married and had six children, five of whom survived infancy. Franklin took his first leap into politics, winning a seat in the New York State Senate. The family moved to Washington, D.C., when he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President Wilson.
Life in the nation's capital kindled Eleanor's interests in policy making.  She joined the board of the League of Women Voters in 1924 and became involved in Democratic Party politics. In 1928, after her husband was elected governor of New York, she became actively engaged in domestic and international issues. She wrote a syndicated newspaper column titled "My Day."
In 1933, Roosevelt became First Lady of the United States, a position she held for 12 years. While she assumed traditional duties, she did not allow them to compromise her ideals. In 1939, she announced in her column that she would resign her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, after the group refused to allow Marian Anderson, a black singer, to perform in Washington's Constitution Hall. "The basic fact of segregation," Roosevelt wrote, "is itself discriminatory."
While First Lady, Roosevelt developed an intimate relationship with Lorena Hickock, a journalist who covered the White House. The relationship lasted for the rest of Roosevelt’s life.
Eleanor Roosevelt's commitment to public service continued after her husband’s death in 1945. President Truman named her a delegate to the United Nations, where she was elected chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights. In that position, she helped draft the influential Universal Declaration on Human Rights. 
Roosevelt was a member of the Board of Trustees of Brandeis University and delivered the school's first commencement address. She also authored several children's books. In her lifetime, she received many civic awards and honorary degrees.
Jalal al-Din Rumi
Sufi Mystic/Poet
b. September 30, 1207
d. December 17, 1273
"Only from the heart can you touch the sky."
Jalal al-Din Rumi was a poet, theologian and Sufi mystic. He founded the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, a branch of the Sufi tradition that practicies a gyrating dance ritual representing the revolving stages of life.
Rumi was born in the Persian province of Balkh, now part of Afghanistan. Rumi’s father was an author, a religious scholar and a leader in the Sufi movement—the mystical dimension of Islam.
When Rumi was 12, his father moved the family to escape the impending invasion of Mongol armies, eventually setting in Konya, Anatolia, the westernmost tip of Asia where Turkey is today.
In 1231, after his father died, Rumi began teaching, meditating and helping the poor. He amassed hundreds of disciples who attended his lectures and sermons.
Rumi was married and had one son. After his wife’s death, he remarried and fathered two more children. In 1244, Rumi met a man who changed his life. Shams of Tabriz was an older Sufi master who became Rumi’s spiritual mentor and constant companion. After Shams died, Rumi grieved for years. He began expressing his love and bereavement in poetry, music and dance.
Rumi had two other male companions, but none would replace his beloved Shams. One of Rumi’s major poetic works is named in honor of his master, "The Works of Shams of Tabriz." Rumi’s best-known work is "Spiritual Couplets," a six-volume poem often referred to as the greatest work of mystical poetry.
In “Rumi: The Book of Love Poems of Ecstasy and Longing” (2003), Rumi expresses his perception of true love. "Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along."
Rumi died surrounded by his family and disciples. His tomb is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Islam and is a spiritual center of Turkey.
David Sedaris
Writer/Humorist
b. December 26, 1956
"A good short story would take me out of myself and then stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit."
David Sedaris is an award-winning best-selling author whose short stories depict, variously, the life of a young gay man in 20th century America, the experience of an American living abroad and the comedy of family life.
Sedaris, who was one of six children, was born in Binghamton, New York, and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1983, he graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He began writing and supported himself with odd jobs in Raleigh, in Chicago and eventually in New York. His big break came on National Public Radio, where he read his short stories.
Called the "preeminent humorist of his generation" by Entertainment Weekly, Sedaris is the author of numerous collections: "Barrel Fever" (1994), "Naked" (1997), "Holidays on Ice" (1997), "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (2000), "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" (2004) and "When You are Engulfed in Flames" (2008), which was number one on the New York Times best-seller list. He edited a 2005 collection of stories called "Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules," the proceeds from which benefit a nonprofit writing and tutorial center.
Sedaris is known for his distinctive style, combining elements of memoir, humor and the traditional short story. He is clear that his stories are embellished. "I’m a humorist," he says. "I’m not a reporter."
Sedaris is a frequent contributor to the award-winning "This American Life" public radio show. Along with his sister Amy, he is the author of numerous plays written under the name "The Talent Family." He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and was named Time magazine's Humorist of the Year in 2001. In 2008, he delivered the commencement speech at Binghamton University and was awarded an honorary doctorate. 
Sedaris lives in London, Paris and Normandy with his longtime partner, Hugh Hamrick. 
Matthew Shepard
Hero      
b.  December 1, 1976
d.  October 12, 1998
"Every American child deserves the strongest protections from some of the country’s most horrifying crimes." – Judy Shepard
As a gay college student, Matthew Shepard was the victim of a deadly hate crime. His murder brought national and international attention to the need for GLBT-inclusive hate crimes legislation.
Shepard was born in Casper, Wyoming, to Judy and Dennis Shepard. He was the older of two sons. Matthew completed high school at The American School in Switzerland. In 1998, he enrolled at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Soon afterward, he joined the campus gay alliance.
On October 6, 1998, two men—Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson—lured Shepard from a downtown Laramie bar. After Shepard acknowledged that he was gay, McKinney and Henderson beat and tortured him, then tied him to a tree in a remote, rural area and left him for dead. Eighteen hours later, a biker, who thought he saw a scarecrow, found Shepard barely breathing.
Shepard was rushed to the hospital, but never regained consciousness. He died on October 12. Both of Shepard’s killers were convicted of felony murder and are serving two consecutive life sentences.
Despite the outcome of the trial, the men who took Shepard’s life were not charged with a hate crime. Wyoming has no hate crimes law, which protects victims of crimes motivated by bias against a protected class. Shepard’s high-profile murder case sparked protests, vigils and calls for federal hate crimes legislation for GLBT victims of violence.
Shortly after their son's death, Judy and Dennis Shepard founded The Matthew Shepard Foundation to honor his memory and to "replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance." Judy Shepard became a GLBT activist and the most recognized voice in the fight for a federal hate crimes bill.
In 2009, more than a decade after Shepard’s murder, The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) was signed into law. HCPA added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes, giving the United States Department of Justice the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violent crimes against GLBT victims.
Dozens of songs have been written and recorded to honor Matthew Shepard's legacy.  Several films, television movies and plays about him have been produced, including "The Laramie Project" (2002) and "The Matthew Shepard Story" (2002).
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Prime Minister of Iceland
b. October 4, 1942
"Egalitarian policies are the best way to unite and empower people."
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is the first female prime minister of Iceland and the world's first openly GLBT national leader.
Sigurðardóttir was born in Reykjavik, where she received the equivalent of a high school diploma from the Commercial College of Iceland. Her first job was as a flight attendant for what is now Icelandair. After six years in that position, she became a union organizer with the airline—a move that served as her entree into Icelandic politics.
Sigurðardóttir was elected to Iceland’s Parliament in 1978. Viewed as a rising star, she was named minister of social affairs in 1987. In 1990, she ran for the top spot in her party, the Social Democrat Alliance. She narrowly lost that race, declaring, "My time will come," which has become a common catchphrase in Iceland.
In January of 2009, following the collapse of the nation’s economy in the worldwide recession, Iceland’s president asked the Social Democrat Alliance to form a new government, which elevated Sigurðardóttir to the office of the prime minister. At the time of her appointment, she was the longest-serving member of Iceland’s Parliament.
Four months later, Sigurðardóttir’s party, along with its coalition partner, won a majority of seats in the Parliament, handing her a strong mandate to lead Iceland’s economic revitalization efforts and to work toward joining the European Union. While focusing on these important tasks, Sigurðardóttir has not forgotten the value of equity in politics. "A society that does not use the intellectual power of its female population fully is not a wise society," she says.
Sigurðardóttir was married to a man prior to coming out. She and her ex-husband are the parents of two adult children. On June 11, 2010, by a vote of 49 to 0, Iceland’s Parliament approved same-sex marriage. On June 26, 2010, the first day that legislation became effective, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and Jónína Leósdóttir were married. 
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Composer 
b. May 7, 1840
d. November 6, 1893
"Music’s triumphant power lies in the fact that it reveals to us beauties we find in no other sphere."
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of the most popular composers in history. His best-known works include the ballets "Swan Lake," "The Sleeping Beauty," and "The Nutcracker";  the operas "The Queen of Spades" and "Eugene Onegin"; and the widely recognized Fantasy Overture “Romeo and Juliet" and "1812 Overture."
Tchaikovsky was born in Votinsk, Russia, a small industrial town. His father was a mine inspector. His mother, who was of French and Russian heritage, strongly influenced his education and cultural upbringing.
At age 5, Tchaikovsky began piano lessons. His parents nurtured his musical talents, but had a different career path in mind for their son. In 1850, the family enrolled him at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg, where he prepared for a job in civil service.
After working in government for a few years, Tchaikovsky pursued his passion at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. After graduation, he taught music theory at the Moscow Conservatory and worked on new compositions. Tchaikovsky created concertos, symphonies, ballets, chamber music, and concert and theatrical pieces. His passionate, emotional compositions represented a departure from traditional Russian music, and his work became popular with Western audiences.
Despite his career success, Tchaikovsky’s personal life was filled with crises and bouts of depression. After receiving letters of admiration from a former student, Tchaikovsky married her. Historians speculate the marriage took place to dispel rumors that Tchaikovsky was gay. The marriage was a disaster and Tchaikovsky left his wife after nine days.
Tchaikovsky began an unconventional relationship with a wealthy widow, Nadezhda von Mek, who agreed to be his benefactor on one condition: they were never to meet face to face. The couple exchanged more than 1,000 letters, until von Mek abruptly ended their 13-year liaison.
The famed composer died suddenly at age 53. The cause of his death, believed by some to be suicide, remains a mystery.
Rufus Wainwright
Singer/Songwriter
b. July 22, 1973
"It’s important for famous people to be an example for gay teens."
Known for his unique style and daring artistic endeavors, Rufus Wainwright is one of the most accomplished singer/songwriters of his generation. He has produced six albums and is the recipient of two Juno Awards and five GLAAD Media Awards.
Wainwright’s musical talent was shaped by his folksinger parents, Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III. He was born in Rhinebeck, New York, and holds dual United States and Canadian citizenship. After his parents divorced, he spent most of his youth with his mother in Montreal.
At age 14, Wainwright broke into the entertainment world with a song he composed and sang in the film "Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller," earning him a Juno Award nomination for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year." That same year, he was sexually assaulted by a man he met at a bar. Deeply disturbed by the attack, he remained celibate for seven years.
In 1998, following the release of his first album, Wainwright was named "Best New Artist" by Rolling Stone. He composes music for theater, dance and opera, and has contributed to numerous film soundtracks, including "Moulin Rouge" and "Brokeback Mountain." Additionally, he has acted in "The Aviator" and "Heights," among other films.
As a collaborator, Wainwright has worked on albums with music greats Rosanne Cash and Elton John. John hailed him as "the greatest songwriter on the planet." His first opera, "Prima Donna," premiered in 2009 at the Manchester International Festival and was the subject of a documentary film that premiered on Bravo! in 2010.
Despite fame and success, Wainwright struggled with crystal meth addiction, a habit he eventually recovered from in 2002. With two decades of performing under his belt, Wainwright assures his fans that he won’t be retiring any time soon: “I am a self-sustaining, vibrant, long-term artist, and I’m not going away!” 
Mel White
Minister/Activist
b. July 26, 1940
"I'm perfectly happy going on TV now and saying I'm a gay man. I'm happy and proud to say that."
Mel White is an ordained minister who left his career as an adviser to prominent Christian evangelists when he came out during the mid 1990’s. White has dedicated his life to gaining acceptance for GLBT Christians.
In 1962, White graduated from Warner Pacific College. He received a master's degree in communications from the University of Portland and a Doctorate of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he was also a professor.
Early in his career, White served as a speechwriter for evangelical leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. He married a woman with whom he had one son. When he realized he was attracted to men, he tried to “cure” his homosexuality with therapy and exorcism.  Acknowledging that nothing could alter his sexual orientation, White attempted suicide.
White ultimately accepted his sexuality and amicably divorced his wife. In 1993, he publicly acknowledged that he was gay when he was named dean of the Dallas Cathedral of Hope of the Universal Fellowship at Metropolitan Community Churches. Two years later, he published “Stranger at the Gate,” a book that chronicles his struggles as a gay Christian.
In the early 1990’s, White shifted his focus to GLBT advocacy, both within and outside of the church. In 1996, White led a two-week fast on the steps of Congress as the Senate considered and ultimately passed the Defense of Marriage Act. He moved the fast to the White House, where he was arrested. "How can we stand by in silent acceptance while the president and the Congress sacrifice lesbian and gay Americans for some ‘greater political good’?” he asked.
In 1998, White and his partner of more than 25 years, Gary Nixon, founded Soulforce, an organization whose mission is to "seek freedom from religious and political oppression" for GLBT people. Its name comes from "satyagraha," a term meaning "soul force" used by Gandhi in to describe his civil rights struggle.
White is the author of nearly 20 books, including "Religion Gone Bad: Hidden Dangers from the Christian Right" (2009). His story is featured in "Friends of God" (2007), a documentary film about evangelical Christians.
In 2008, White and Nixon were legally married in California. In 2009, White and his son, Mike, were a team on the 14th season of "The Amazing Race."
Emanuel Xavier
Poet   
b. May 3, 1971  
"Being Latino and gay gives me much to write about. Anything that oppresses us as artists is always great fodder for art."
Emanuel Xavier is a poet, author and editor. He is one of the most significant openly gay Latino spoken word artists of his generation. 
Xavier was born in Brooklyn, New York, the child of an Ecuadorian mother and a Puerto Rican father who abandoned the family before his son was born. When Xavier was three, he was sexually abused by a family member. At 16, when Xavier came out to his mother, she threw him out of the house.
A homeless gay teen on the streets of New York, Xavier soon turned to sex and drugs for money. He became a hustler at the West Side Highway piers and sold drugs in gay clubs. After landing a job at a gay bookstore, A Different Light, Xavier began to write poetry and perform as a spoken word artist.
"Pier Queen" (1997), Xavier’s self-published poetry collection, established him in the New York underground arts scene. "Christ Like" (1999), Xavier’s novel, was the first coming of age story by a gay Nuyorican (Puerto Rican living in New York) and earned him a Lambda Literary Award nomination. Fellow author Jaime Manrique said, "Once in a generation, a new voice emerges that makes us see the world in a dazzling new light. Emanuel Xavier is that kind of writer."
"Americano" (2002), another poetry collection and Xavier’s first official published work, advanced his prominence within the literary community of color. Xavier edited "Bullets & Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry" (2005), for which he received a second Lambda Literary Award nomination. 
In 2005, Xavier was the victim of a random attack by a group of young men. As a result of the beating, he lost all hearing in his right ear, but continued to write and perform.
Xavier reflects on the assault in his poem "Passage":

Had they known I was gay they would have killed me
None of my poems about peace and unity
would have kept me whole

Also an activist, Xavier focuses his work on homeless gay youth. He has organized benefits for many organizations, including The New York Pier AIDS Education Coalition, Live Out Loud, and Sylvia’s Place, a shelter for homeless GLBTQ youth.
Xavier has appeared on HBO’s "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry" and "In the Life" on PBS. In 2010, his CD "Legendary—The Spoken Word Poetry of Emanuel Xavier" was released to critical acclaim.

Can Someone Send Him Over?

My cold seems to be getting better, but I think he could make me completely well again.

Apology

Sorry guys for the lack of posts this week.  If you read my other blog, you know that I have a horrible cold and feel like crap.  This blog always takes more time and energy than my other and sadly I have been neglecting it this week in order to try and get some rest and get well.

This weekend I plan to take Nyquil and stay in bed all weekend long.  Hopefully, I will be better on Monday.  Again, I apologize for the lack of posts.

UPDATE: Gay student teacher 'thrilled' to get Beaverton job back

On Sunday, October 3, I wrote a post “Teacher Fired For Telling Student He Is Gay” which told of Seth Stambaugh who was fired when he told one of his students that he was gay.  I was horrified when I heard about this, and if you’ve been reading the blog, you know that I am a teacher who is in the closet, but wish that I didn’t have to be.  Some places in America will take longer to be more accepting (I live in such a place), but you expect the Northwest to be more open and accepting.  That is what made this story so discouraging when I first read it.  I was very happy to read an email from a new reader named Phil that informed me that on Thursday of last week, that Mr.. Stambaugh was reinstated in his position as a student teacher.  Parents in the school district wrote the following letter to the school board requesting that he be reinstated:

This is a message from concerned parents whose children are in the classroom at Sexton Mountain from which the Beaverton School District removed our appreciated student teacher, Mr. Seth Stambaugh.

We as parents were grateful that Mr. Stambaugh was going to be an additional educator and mentor to our students this year.  We were pleased that he had begun to develop lesson plans for our children.  We know that he had a positive rapport with our children and that he worked well with his mentor teacher.

Our children are now deprived of that additional educator in their classroom at a time when our school is already struggling with budget cuts to education.  We are deeply concerned about the messages the District's action, and continued inaction, sends to our children: that some people are more equal than others and identifying differences can lead to expulsion.

We are not pleased that we learned about the District's summary removal in the news, and not directly from the District or from Sexton Mountain.  We are concerned that the District and the School made such a dramatic and rapid choice that affects the future of our children's education after speaking to only one or two parents.

The good news is that this is a repairable situation and an opportunity to show our children that when a mistake is made we must take every opportunity to correct it.  We believe that Sexton Mountain, and the Beaverton School District, can be better than this.  The first step is for Mr. Stambaugh to be unconditionally re-instated  to our children's classroom without delay.

Sincerely,

Concerned Parents

Thankfully, the school board responded positively and reinstated Mr. Stambaugh.  Below is the video of the news story and then the article about his reinstatement.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – A gay student teacher told reporters he was thrilled to have his position back after being dismissed for a conversation about gay marriage.

Seth Stambaugh, a Lewis & Clark Grad School student teacher, had been removed from Sexton Mountain Elementary School following a complaint by a parent, based on a conversation Stambaugh had with a student about his marital status in which he stated it would be illegal for him to marry because he would choose to marry a man.

Stambaugh was reinstated Thursday by the Beaverton School District. His lawyer, Lake Perriguey, said the offer of reinstatement came at an afternoon meeting at Lewis and Clark College.

“This is a huge teachable moment,” Stambaugh said in a press conference Friday. “I'm glad I can be back in the classroom with the students I gained a great rapport with.”

When asked whether he planned to file a discrimination lawsuit, Stambaugh said, “I’d prefer not to.”

Perriguey said, “Mr. Stambaugh is joyous beyond belief. He is celebrating privately with friends and family.”

Stambaugh will resume his student teaching duties at Sexton Mountain Elementary School next Thursday, returning him to his regular Thursday and Friday schedule.

At the time of the incident, Stambaugh was paired with a teacher in a fourth-grade class at Sexton Mountain. He was leading a writing lesson when a fourth-grader asked him if he was married. Stambaugh said no. The student then asked why. Stambaugh replied that it would be illegal for him to get married because he would be choosing to marry another man.

On Sept. 15, the school district informed Lewis and Clark that Stambaugh would not be allowed back as a student teacher at the school. Stambaugh said that he was only told his comments were "inappropriate."

Earlier this week, 22 parents of students at the school wrote a letter in support of Stambaugh, calling on the district to reinstate the student teacher, whom they said had "positive rapport" with his students.

The two schools released the following statement on Thursday:

The Beaverton School District and Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education have jointly agreed to offer Seth Stambaugh the opportunity to return to his original student teaching placement at Sexton Mt. Elementary School starting late next week. Lewis & Clark and the Beaverton School District will continue to provide Mr. Stambaugh with a high level of support as we do for all student teachers as they begin to serve students and the greater community. We are moving forward with our common values and principles of equity, respect and inclusion.

Thank you Phil for letting me know about the update on this story.

Words of Inspiration