Eh? I think you've been reading someone else's postings, aqvarivs. I've never argued that gay people are special.

"It's an non issue."

It should be, but it's not yet. While kids who are perceived as being same-sex attracted are targeted for bullying (again, see research linked above), it's clearly not a non-issue for a critical proportion of the school-age population. Teaching kids that gay is nothing special is exactly what's required. If that's what you've done, then you know that you don't have to teach kids about sexual practices in order to show them that it's OK for two people of the same sex to be attracted to each other, to make a commitment to each other, and to share each others lives.

If you've got this message across to your kids then I thank you most deeply and sincerely, because unfortunately you're still in the minority.

"We should teach children that homosexuality is abnormal." Heavens, Col! Why would you want to teach them something that's simply not true? Homosexuality is a normal human variation, like left-handedness or synesthesia. If you don't feel comfortable talking about sexual behaviour (and who does?), the American Psychological Association's page on sexuality and orientation http://www.apa.org/topics/orientation.html is a great place to get some ideas on how to talk to young people about homosexuality. Not a willy or a front-botty mentioned anywhere.

"it's clearly not a non-issue for a critical proportion of the school-age population." Bit heavy handed with that statement what? Even the most liberal assessment places gays at (+/-)10% of the total population. One could hardly call for critical proportion. Are there predominately gay schools in predominately gay communities suffering abuse by nasty straight kids?

The thing is that these programs you are arguing for are already in place and according to the research you cite they are working and achieving their goal. The kids you claim to care about are being helped with programs that are aimed at protecting them specifically.

So why are you on these forums at all if it is the kids' cause you are really trying to promote? Why do you or anyone else need to argue for something that already exists?

Perhaps you are on these forums to try and satisfy a more personal agenda. Maybe you want to promote the fact that an authority like the Education Department recognises homosexual bullying as a specific behaviour and therefore homosexual people as a specific group. They are giving credence to homosexuality and that is what you are really arguing for.

Why would you need authorities to give credence to homosexuality unless you were uncomfortable about its credentials as they stand. Perhaps you need authorities to say homosexuality is ok because you are not entirely convinced that it is ok.

I don't think you are on this forum because you care about kids. You are on this forum trying to convince yourself that homosexuality is ok. Your real agenda is not about school programs but is a far more personal one and these forums are not about solving personal problems. It is pointless arguing with you about school programs because that is not your real concern. The real argument for the rest of us is how our tax dollars are being spent but that is not your issue - you already have them being spent in the way that suits you.

“The real argument for the rest of us is how our tax dollars are being spent.”

Get over it, phanto. I understand that you dislike paying for something from which you don’t receive a direct benefit, but that’s not how things work in modern societies. Whether you like it or not, our taxes already pay for research into systemic-functional grammar, tunnels for wildlife to get across busy roads and advertising for “WorkChoices” ... and in some places, programs for protecting minorities.

“You are on this forum trying to convince yourself that homosexuality is ok.”

You’re just gonna hafta take my word for it, mate: improbable as this might seem to you, I rejoice in my sexuality, and also in the fact that it is valued by my family, friends and colleagues. Most of all, just like most straight people, I rejoice in expressing my sexuality with my partner.

The fact that our society de-values it http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5549 is naturally of some concern to me. However in this forum my main concern is to support the argument that young people who are perceived to be same-sex-attracted need protection.

It's pretty clear that you haven't read the research I've cited above, because the bullying is still happening. No-one's claiming that anti-gay bullying has been stamped out, just that anti-homophobia programs help. Take a look at the article in today's Melbourne Herald Sun for the latest on homophobic bullying http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21627751-2862,00.html, or here for more detail http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20072504-15287.html