North Carolina Governor Appoints Bully To School Safety Task Force

The Bigot and The Bully: McCrory and Collins

Last March, North Carolina Governor, and republican, of course, Pat McCrory nominated lawyer Buddy Collins to the state school board. McCrory faced considerable criticism from LGBT groups because Buddy Collins has a long history of opposing anti-bullying measures aimed at protecting LGBT students. Yes, McCrory appointed an anti-gay man to the school board; a man who has worked to stop anti-bullying programs and then, of course, the GOP-controlled North Carolina General Assembly confirmed Collins.

As if that wasn’t a slap in the face to the LGBT community, this week McCrory kicked us in the groin by elevating Buddy Collins into a two year term on his Task Force on Safer Schools. So the man who doesn’t think LGBTQ youth are being bullied is now kind of in charge of bullying and I can see where this is headed.

"School safety is a top priority of my administration. One of my first actions after taking office was tasking the Department of Public Safety with developing a comprehensive plan to make our schools safer for students, parents, teachers and administrators. I am pleased to announce a very diverse, talented and functional task force that will provide guidance and sound advice that is needed to improve school safety in North Carolina."—Pat McCrory

If school safety is so important, why Buddy Collins? While on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board, Collins resisted GLSEN’s [Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network] efforts to make "sexual orientation" a protected category in the school system's nondiscrimination policy. Buddy Collins voted against allowing the school system to amend an annual parent-student survey to include new questions about bullying, racism, homophobia, sexism and discrimination against handicapped students, and in 2002, he published a column in the Winston-Salem Journal advocating against the "public endorsement of a homosexual union and homosexual sexual practices."

In other words, the man doesn’t seem to care about bullying of anyone, and yet he’s been appointed to the Task Force on Safer Schools.

In response, Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN, called the appointment of Collins a “cruel joke” and said:

"We call on Governor McCrory to reconsider his incredibly disappointing and controversial appointment of Buddy Collins to a two-year term on the state Task Force on Safer Schools. Given his derogatory views of the LGBT families and his willingness to put some of our states most vulnerable children at risk of bullying -- it defies logic that Gov. McCrory would appoint Mr. Collins to a position so directly tied to protecting the rights and safety of all North Carolina students."

McCrory's office did not return a request for comment.

But that’s how homophobia works; you spread it and you stay silent. You, if you’re in a position of power, appoint people to task forces dealing with school safety who think that bullying, racism, homophobia, sexism and discrimination against handicapped students aren’t important enough issues to deal with, or even question.

Why not take a second and shoot an email up to Pat McCrory and let him know what a mistake he’s made; you can do that HERE.

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