In 1978, the ACLU defended the right of Neo-Nazis to hold a peaceful rally in Chicago, complete with Nazi uniforms and swastikas. The right of the Nazis to assemble without impediment was upheld under the First Amendment by the US Supreme Court.
It should be evident that the ACLU was no friend of the Nazis. They abhorred everything the Nazis stood for. In fact, the lawyer who argued the case was Jewish! Nevertheless, the ACLU chose to act on principle, because First Amendment protections do not discriminate based on the content of one’s speech (with a few notable exceptions). If the rights of Nazis to speak can be denied, then so could the rights of any group that is despised or happens to fall out of favor with society.
It is possible, then, to treat others with whom we disagree or even dislike, with respect and tolerance. This is the essence of civil discourse and it is one of the principles that makes America great.
Fast forward to our present situation. Much of our education system has exchanged this principle of free speech for what can only be called, the ‘Big Lie.’ In the battle over sexuality and gender, children are being taught that they must accept and endorse lifestyles that they may find morally objectionable. It is not enough to tolerate LGBTQ values, children are encouraged to become “allies” and display symbols of LGBTQ pride, etc.
Even principled criticism of LGBTQ beliefs, regardless of how respectful it is expressed, is liable to hurt the feelings of LGBTQ children. This is construed as a form of hate and bullying. Progressive educators have thus devised a perfect ploy for forcing the desired political behavior from students, namely LGBTQ advocacy.
This Big Lie has undermined the noble principle exhibited by the ACLU in their defense of the Nazis, namely, that tolerance and respect do not entail agreement, much less advocacy. Like all people, LGBTQ students are entitled to respect. However, their chosen lifestyle and values are not automatically entitled to approval or admiration. But, alas, this distinction is too nuanced for activist educators who only see the world in black and white.
