What are your thoughts on Family Leader bullying proposal?
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Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats urged Gov. Terry Branstad to remove his title from the upcoming Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth in an open letter Tuesday, and invited Branstad to instead partner with his socially conservative group in hosting a more “comprehensive” anti-bullying conference.
Vander Plaats wrote in the letter that the Family Leader opposes the governor’s support of the conference, which includes passing out “safe sex kits” and allows transgender youth to use whichever restroom corresponds with their identified gender.
In exchange for Branstad’s removal of “Governor” from the title, Vander Plaats said the group would like to develop a different safe schools conference for all students.
“Instead of passing out ‘safe’ sex kits to students, the conference could provide abstinence-based education, emphasizing healthy behavior and the healthy aspects of preventing unwanted pregnancies, STD’s, depression, and other problems resulting from sexual activity outside of marriage,” Vander Plaats wrote.
The open letter comes after Branstad declared he would not remove his title from the conference and sent a letter Jan. 26 in support of the event to organizer Nate Monson, executive director of Iowa Safe Schools.
“I support the conference and its goal of eliminating bullying and making Iowa schools safe for all students,” Branstad wrote in the letter. “I do not object to you including the word ‘Governor’s’ in the conference title.”
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The Family “Leader” proposal is ridiculous and disingenuous ideological, political, and rhetorical gay-bashing.
I dont understand why what Vanderspltts does is not considered hate speech?
Why listen to a bully’s opinion regarding an anti-bullying conference?
I don’t say this often but, on this issue, Gov. Branstad has got it right.
VanderPlatts is really annoying me now. His inane machinations have caused Brandstad to do something I actually agree with. Brandstad? Who would have thought?
Okay, maybe I’m not seeing the correlation, but if you have one conference for just “LGBTQ Youth”, why wouldn’t a conference that was all inclusive be better? Because as far as I recall more than just LGBTQ people get bullied.
John, Family “Leader” is staging a publicity stunt to push its agenda, and cares nothing about offering any real solutions. You’ve been punked.
Okay, so the question still stands, unless you can prove that it’s not concerned with the issue of “bullying”.
John, I will support any conference about reducing bullying, so long as Family “Leader” is excluded.
You are overlooking the money to be made in the lucrative field of bigot farming.
David, Vander Plotz’s hateful message will always be the same, regardless of how it’s wrapped.
I think Vander Plaats needs to just go and find a new place to live, like another state would be good.
He would probably do well in South Dakota. I believe that there are plenty of Pizza Ranch restaurants there.
Mr. VanderPlaats is already in another state … at least another state of mind!
An anti-bullying forum sponsored by Grifter Bob’s Family Leader would be akin to a chicken-stealing seminar led by the firm of Fox and Coyote.
I agree with Terry’s Chief of Staff:
“It is hard these days to take anything seriously that comes from Bob Vander Plaats or the Family Leader,” Jeff Boeyink, Branstad’s chief of staff said today. “It is sad and attention-seeking, and does nothing to move our state forward.”
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/02/14/vander-plaats-to-branstad-anti-bully-conference-is-advocating-tolerance-of-harmful-behavior/
First–will never spend a penny in a Pizza Ranch. VP is an embarrassment to Iowans If the papers/media of the state would quit feeding this idiot free press, it would help (not going to happen). I had the unfortunate experience of working with one of his cult members. He would not listen to any opposing view and would use bible quotes to answer anything that was brought up. Disney is evil and Pizza Hut was the devils place to order pizza because they served beer (wonder if Pizza Ranch does…). Wish he would just go away, but as long as you have people like my co-worker buying into this garbage, he will stick around.
NO!!!! I liked Pizza Ranch! Seriously, now that I know the BVP/PIzza Ranch/Jesus connection I’m going to feel bad when/if I go there. I can’t support any of this garbage that fuels BVP…
He was good buddies from High School with the founder I see.
http://www.pizzaranch.com/glance
Odd that a pizza chains Vision statement is “To glorify God by positively impacting the world we live in.”…with Pizza and chicken I guess.
I like your food, but now that I know this… I don’t think I can support your business.
Try and tell the Gazette that!
I can think of plenty of other ways to positively impact the world I live in besides glorifying a deity.
For ___’_ sake. Anything VP says should be on the opinion page. He is a PAID lobbyist. Anything his org says should be on the opinion page. They are (and should have to register as) a lobbying org. Any media that gives him and his org the credibilty they want by printing their ‘news releases’ anywhere but on the opinion page is not journalism but tabloidism.
Why should anyone do anything Vander Plaats says, let alone take him seriously!?
I don’t think Pizza Ranch provides a better chance of (not) sharing a bathroom with the opposite sex, or observing condoms on a wall dispenser. Their food should be sold on it’s own merit and not based on someones else.