Outside of Franklin County High School in Kentucky, students protested an email sent to their teachers instructing them not to allow homosexuals to use the restroom during class.

The email sent by Asst. Principal Karen Buzard was in response to an incident where two female students were caught kissing in the school restroom.

From Kentucky Equality Federation (KEF):

“I have been in contact with one of the parents of the children involved in the protest, and we support and encourage their constitutional right to assemble peacefully,” stated Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer. “We call on the media to investigate this issue further and shed light on the discrimination gays and lesbians face throughout the Commonwealth. Kentucky Equality Federation will also be contacting the other parents of the children involved in today’s protest.”

Laura Reed, Managing Director of KEF is concerned because they have also received complaints from other counties.

“I’d like to know what level this mentality, that gay and lesbian students should not be treated equally is coming from. An incident in one county could be called an isolated incident, but we now have similar reports in three other Kentucky Counties. I’d certainly like to know what Education Secretary Helen W. Mountjoy has to say about these incidents.”

How odd. According to the school’s website, April is the month for tolerance. Doesn’t sound like a very tolerant school if you ask me.

More at Kentucky Equality Federation.

Psychologist Barry Schwartz explores the notion of “freedom of choice,” and makes a convincing case that having more choice ultimately makes us less happy.

Watching the clip might make you long for simpler times. Like Dana Carvey’s Grumpy Old Man character from SNL…

I’m oooooold! And I’m not happy! And I don’t like things now compared to the way they used to be. All this progress — phooey! In my day, we didn’t have these cash machines that would give you money when you needed it. There was only one bank in each state — it was open only one hour a year. And you’d get in line, seventeen miles long, and the line became an angry mob of people — fornicators and thieves, mutant children and circus freaks — and you waited for years and by the time you got to the teller, you were senile and arthritic and you couldn’t remember your own name. You were born, got in line, and ya died! And that’s the way it was and we liked it!

Then again… perhaps not. 🙂

A break from our regularly scheduled programming. This amazing exhibit called Multiverse is on display through 2009 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. The visuals remind me of the warp speed affect in Star Trek, and is never the same twice. Cool stuff. Any chance of this exhibit heading west?

Watch…

Welcome to a new segment called Tuesdays with TED. For those of you don’t know TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and is a yearly, invitation-only conference that brings together “the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers” to talk about the issues they are most passionate about. Fortunately for those of us who aren’t invited, the talks are available online.

So starting today and on every Tuesday I will highlight a TED Talk from their massive video library, not necessarily because it may be socially or culturally relevant to what’s going on that particular day (though it just might), but sometimes because it may be relevant and important to me, and hopefully to you as well.

This week’s first segment is called Do Schools kill Creativity? by Sir Ken Robinson, a creativity expert who makes the case for changing our education system so that it nurtures and not undermines creativity. This is an issue close to my heart. Enjoy.