Welcome to Bizarro Amerika!

A bill that would prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality in the classroom before the ninth grade has advanced in Tennessee's Senate.

Sponsored by state Sen. Stacey Campfield (R), who unsuccessfully pushed the same measure for six years while serving in the House, the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill would make it illegal for educators to discuss any sexual behavior apart from heterosexuality with students in kindergarten up through the eighth grade.

Members of the Tennessee Equality Project, a local gay rights organization which actively opposes the legislation, worry its passage would alienate certain children. ""It means [teachers] can't talk about gay issues or sexuality even with students who may be gay or have [a] gay family," said Ben Byers, a spokesman for the group.

Supporters, on the other hand, tout the importance of an "age appropriate" curriculum.

[WAIT!]The measure underwent some complicated maneuvers before its passage in the state Senate. Jim Tracy (R), a member of the Senate Education Committee, argued the law was already in practice, as it's a misdemeanor to discuss any issues at school outside Tennessee's established "family life" program. Tracy thus proposed an amendment to Campfield's bill requiring the Board of Education to examine whether homosexuality is indeed being taught in the state's classrooms.

The Senate passed Tracy's amendment, and soon after, fellow Sen. Brian Kelsey (R) proposed a further revision to Campfield's bill, one that would explicitly exclude homosexuality from the state's family life curriculum. Kelsey's amendment cleared the Education Committee in a 6-3 vote Wednesday, with only Democrats opposing. The measure will now be sent to the Senate floor.

Campfield, 42 and unmarried, is no stranger to controversial legislation -- in the past, he's proposed issuing death certificates for aborted fetuses and permitting guns on college campuses.

Tennessee state Senator Stacey Campfield once argued that his 'Don't Say Gay' bill protects kids from things like bestiality.

Sen. Stacey Campfield’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill made it out of a House subcommittee today, banning discussion of all but “natural human reproduction science” before the ninth grade in public schools.

Before the House education subcommittee acted, chairman Joey Hensley scored bonus points by admonishing all Tennessee parents not to let their children watch “Modern Family” on television because they might discover there are homosexuals in the world.

Coincidentally, President Obama says "Modern Family" is one of the first family’s favorite shows to watch in the White House. Hensley didn’t mention that, but we’re certain that if he knew it, it would only strengthen his belief in the show’s evil influence.

“I don’t think ‘Modern Family’ is appropriate for children to watch,” Hensley said solemnly after a Nashville preacher testified children might find out about gay people by seeing the show even if teachers aren’t allowed to say gay in schools.

The state Senate adopted the “don’t say gay” bill last year but amended it first to allow only the teaching of “natural human reproduction science."

It's now made it through the House (http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2012/02/15/dont-say-gay-flies-out-of-house-subcommittee). Although I'd like to say I can't believe it, I'm not the least bit surprised that these inbreds are so homophobic.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/02/17/427778/virginia-poised-to-enact-state-sponsored-rape-law-forcing-women-to-be-vaginally-probed-before-abortions/

“Because the great majority of abortions occur during the first 12 weeks, that means most women will be forced to have a transvaginal procedure, in which a probe is inserted into the vagina, and then moved around until an ultrasound image is produced.”

Simply put, it is difficult to distinguish a law requiring women to be vaginally penetrated by a long metal object from state-sponsored rape. Worse, discussions among lawmakers leave little doubt that its supporters understood just what they were trying to write into law — they just didn’t care. As an unnamed lawmaker told a fellow Virginia delegate, a woman already consented to being “vaginally penetrated when they got pregnant.”