I had some information on Famous GLBT people that I would post for GLBT History Month every October for most of the years I taught in Oklahoma City. The high school principal, however, was afraid that if he would allow it to be posted in my classroom the same way such information was freely posted in any classroom, including my own, that a teacher so chose during Black, Asian, and Hispanic History/Heritage Months, or if teachers, including myself, chose to highlight role models in their classrooms even if the person was not specific their curriculum, to allow the same for GLBT people would bring down political and religious wrath upon him.

There was one instance of my wanting to have a history month display that was presented incorrectly by another teacher to her pastor so that he felt justified in alerting other area pastors who on a particular Sunday informed their parishioners that homosexuality was being taught at the high school which resulted in demands being made to abolish the course and fire the teacher. A meeting with pastors, the principal, and myself in the principal’s office cleared things up resulting in a quiet apology at that meeting for their rash judgment and the confusion they had caused among their flocks.

For some reason I was held responsible for the other teacher’s misrepresenting of the facts.

So as a compromise to my annual request for a display that year, and to eliminate the battle that annually ensued, upon the suggestion of the union a compromised was reached that would allow for an announcement during morning announcements that I had information on GLBT History and on handling Bullying, and anyone interested could come and ask for it when they felt it convenient or even safe. They could also request it any time they saw me, and I would get it to them.

This would be done during GLBT History Month instead of any display.

However, whereas other teacher submitted announcements merely required the teachers’ signatures as verification the announcement was legitimate, in this instance the principal unilaterally amended the agreed upon compromise adding the requirement that I had to also include the names of at least two GLBT Students, apparently so he could speak with them to verify they were Gay, and not just two students pretending to be so as to allow the announcement to be made based on that. The announcements were made without the verifying names read out loud, so this additional requirement was unnecessary and could be devastating if they student reading the morning announcements not only saw the student names, but chose to tell other students whose name he or she had seen. The fear of that alone could have ensured no students’ names would be attached guaranteeing no announcement would be made.

Reluctantly assuming this revealing of two students’ names was not his attention, I still felt it was threatening. Handing in a list of names no matter how short had an extremely terrifying meaning among Gay people in a hostile environment.

This no announcement without names and his unilateral amendment to the agreement began a new battle that involved myself, the principal, the Union, and eventually the Superintendent which lasted all of Gay history month so that when permission was finally granted the principal pointed out that the month was over, the announcement rendered irrelevant, so even with permission the announcement was useless to make, and it was suggested it be held in waiting until the following October.

Had I given the principal two names the announcement could have been made, but the thing about giving names is that once they are given whoever has the list can use it for whatever purpose they choose no matter how far away from the original purpose the list was compiled.

The two student names may have made the announcement possible, but it could have also made them potential victims of bullying as lists, no matter how carefully guarded, can get found or spread. It could also result in pressure being effectively applied so the two students might be forced to give even more names either because they were deceived into thinking it would be for the good of those whose names were given, as was the supposed initial reason for two names, or the list could be used against those whose names were on it.

People whose “tribe” has been victimized by names given, many times to reduce ill treatment, are not fond of giving names as there is no knowing how a list will be use, or if a new purpose will be dreamed up when the list exists.

We saw it happen to Gay people in th pat whose names being released costs them jobs an, housing, an family, and we saw how lists were applied in the McCarthy Era.

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Trump still wants his Muslim Registry, and there are those narrow minded enough to support this.

They are the people like those who face losing healthcare because they opposed Obamacare while loving the ACA and were fooled into voting against themselves.

They are like those who voted to get the immigrants out only to find that that included their spouses and other family members.

They are like those miners who voted to have jobs brought back like was promised only to have found out the jobs would be done by machines while they would be losing their miner health benefits that help them deal with Black Lung.

They are those who do not think a registry of others would never have any effect on them.

Until it happens.

Massachusetts State Senator Jamie Eldridge has proposed SD. 1596, and State Representative Juana Matias has proposed HD 3052, both known as the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act that would protect the civil right of all state residents by preventing our tax dollars from being used to fund President Trump’s harebrained idea of Making America Great Again by dividing families though deportation and creating a Muslim Registry.

This bill will do hat Massachusetts has been known for since John Adams wrote our state constitution, the first such document in the United States. It will prevent the slippery slope of going after one disliked group now, and allowing by precedent another group being stigmatized and hounded in the future.

We are a better state than that.

The proposed ACT would prohibit state support of a Muslim Registry; ensure Basic due process rights for people detained for civil immigration violations; and ensure that local police be allowed to protect and serve their neighbors in their own communities without the added duties of becoming federal agents.

It is time for our state legislators to step up and keep Massachusetts the state that it is.