05/12/2008
Idaho GOP Candidate Wants Separate School Bathrooms for Gays
Why is it that Republican lawmakers in Idaho are so obsessed with men's room activities?
70-year-old Idaho Republican Walt Bayes, who in 2006 went on a 59-day anti-abortion hunger strike, says different bathroom and shower facilities should be provided for gays and straights in schools. Bayes was asked on Friday about a passage in his campaign literature which reads, "It is absolutely wrong to force any student to share the same bathrooms and showers with homosexual teachers or students."
Bayes is running for the Idaho House of Representatives.
The Idaho Press reports: "Bayes said that when he was 18 it would have been 'an absolute catastrophe' for him to have showered with girls. But he said he wasn’t completely sure how the issue of homosexuals and heterosexuals using the same facilities in schools should be addressed. 'I don’t really have an answer for it, but we’re going to have to do something if there’s going to be a considerable number of our people who are going to go that way (homosexual),' Bayes said. 'We’re going to (need) some kind of separation.'"
The other candidates in Bayes race have dismissed his comments.
Said rival Jeff Justus of Meridian: "We have a lot more important issues than that."
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Posted 8:54 AM EST by Andy in Idaho, News, Republican Party | Permalink
Comments
I'd love to see someone call that bluff. Aside from the whole actual discrimination thing, I'm sure most gay kids would love separate showers and bathrooms. A place to escape bullies? Um. yes please. I actually don't think its entirely different than our puritanical men and womens facilities.
Posted by: e | May 12, 2008 9:10:17 AM
I know it's *not* supposed to be "IHOP Candidate." And yet, I keep reading it as "IHOP Candidate."
And in a perfect world, there would be private bathrooms for everyone.
Posted by: Mike B. | May 12, 2008 9:12:22 AM
Where would all the "straight" republicans go to have fun.
Posted by: z | May 12, 2008 9:14:18 AM
Well Santa is a small-minded bigot. But I agree with the separate bathrooms and showers idea. Its cruel to have children made ashamed of their bodies by others (who are probably ashamed of their own). Too little attention is paid to the locker room/bathroom shenanigans that go on in public schools. I don’t mean the sexual kind, I mean bullying and intimidation by older or bigoted children. The locker room dressing and undressing at school is a very uncomfortable place for lots of LGBT and straight kids.
Posted by: ggreen | May 12, 2008 9:26:38 AM
Does this mean that bisexual men get to use both showers?
Posted by: jason | May 12, 2008 9:41:32 AM
Separate but equal? That's not a bad idea. I can't believe no one's ever thought of that before.
Posted by: crispy | May 12, 2008 9:47:07 AM
Interesting response from you all. Why would your logic not apply to other things like say Gay Marriage... why not seperate but equal on that too? civil unions that are the same as marriage? Nope you want marriage... you want it called Marriage. Well I want to go potty with the Straights. :P
Posted by: Eric | May 12, 2008 10:01:06 AM
That might make sense is some upside down and backwards way of fundamentalist Republican thinking IF it weren't for the fact that it's not out and proud gay men who are most likely to be doing the things that he finds so frightening and offensive. Any such law wouldn't apply to the Larry Craigs or the Bob Allens or the countless other married, "straight" identified men who get their gollies having sex in public toilets.
This is just the latest in silly, distraction, no-substance, fear and fluff politics intended to drive the ignorant, easily lead masses to the polls. We can add this to the long list: From WMDs to immigrants; from a terrorist in every pot to a homosexual agendist in every school; from flag lapel pins to gas tax holidays.
Politicians will continue using this crap as long as they continue to work so effectively and as of now, they still do.
Posted by: Zeke | May 12, 2008 10:39:03 AM
Oh, and I hate to state the obvious, but I don't think Mr. Bayes has ANYTHING to worry about.
Even the most predatory, sex craved, homa-sek-shul stall stalker has minimum standards.
I'm pretty sure that men with a fetish for Santa Clause's grandfather are pretty rare.
Posted by: Zeke | May 12, 2008 10:51:33 AM
Why is it that Republican lawmakers in Idaho are so obsessed with men's room activities?
Maybe it has to do with the Potato
Posted by: Maverick69 | May 12, 2008 11:31:33 AM
I wonder what symbol they'll use to mark the gay bathroom door?
I guess the international "wide stance" symbol is already in use for the "straight" men's bathrooms.
Posted by: Ernie | May 12, 2008 12:46:58 PM
Give everyone access to single stall toilets and single stall showers. Problem solved. Hell, make em unisex and have the doors facing onto a common room with washbasins that's open to the rest of the building and they can be unisex and that takes care of the trans people too.
Posted by: AndyP | May 12, 2008 1:33:18 PM
Maybe there should be separate bathroom for stupid old men.
Posted by: Joey | May 12, 2008 3:21:50 PM
I think he's worried about the huge increase in the number of homosexuals these days. They just didn't have so many when he was in school you know.
Posted by: David R. | May 12, 2008 11:55:57 PM
Is this freak for real? What kind of idiot would vote for this A hole
Posted by: Bryan m. | May 19, 2008 12:31:19 AM
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