CNN 2011-08-04

 Checking top stories. The debt deal expected to send stocks higher when Wall Street opens in just a couple of minutes. Both the Senate and the House could vote on the debt deal today.

 
And new this morning, a big change to health coverage 1. The federal government will require insurers to provide birth control without co- payments.
 
And Mexican police say a suspected drug gang leader ordered 1,500 killings 2. Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez was captured over the weekend.
 
Don't teach, don't tell. A Minnesota school district has developed a policy that essentially 3 bars teachers from taking a position on homosexuality in the classroom. Here's what parents are saying.  
 
I mean, this idea of check your identity at the door shall would you tolerate that? We are not advocating that we teach homosexuality, that we teach anything other than tolerance 4.  
 
They don't need to be promoting a particular point of view on that. Parents have a right to raise their children the way they want to and the school district doesn't need to be sitting there, telling kids, your parents are wrong.  
 
So, what's your take? I'm joined by CNN's contributors Will Cain from New York and LZ Granderson from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 
LZ, let's start with you. What do you think of the policy?  
 
I think it's a good start. I agree. I think a policy in which we're telling teachers not to inject their opinion in the conversation of the GLBT community in the classroom is a good thing. But I think omitting the contributions of GLBT people is terrible and it's not teaching history and it's not giving students the education that they need.  
 
Will, what's your take?
 
Well, that's the key, right LZ, Kyra? I mean, what does that mean, neutral? Because that's completely unclear and it appears to be unclear to the teachers. Does neutral mean showing both sides of the issue? Does neutral mean being factual? Does neutral mean being silent? Those are not all the same. So that's why this policy right now completely falls short. You need to find out what neutral means.
 
Yes. How would you define that, LZ? I mean, for you, what exactly should that mean? If a young boy comes to their teacher or to a discussion, or a young girl and says, look, this is how I feel. I think I'm gay. I'm attracted to the same sex.  
 
I mean, how do you remain neutral in that conversation when a young male or female is being so blunt about their feelings?  
 
Well, I think my interpretation 5 is that when you're teaching in the classroom and you're, for instance, talking about civil rights and you find a way to not talk about the contributions of Harvey Milk, I think that is being wrong because his contributions to the overall conversation of civil rights is very important.  
 
Now, if you have an individual student that comes to you and wants to discuss their sexuality, their sexual orientation 6, that's probably something that should be directed to the counselor 7 and that teachers should not be injecting their personal opinions about. I do agree with that.  
 
And -- but then Will, what do you do, I mean, just knowing how kids nowadays have been bullied 8. We have followed the suicides that have taken place because kids haven't been able to express themselves with regard to their sexuality.  
 
And the reason why, apparently 9, the head of the Gay Straight Alliance there in Minnesota where they've implemented 10 this policy says, look, on a daily basis I'm getting text messages, Facebook postings from these kids saying I don't know who to turn to and I'm thinking about taking my own life.  
 
Yes. Well that's obviously a bad situation all around. I really don't know, Kyra, if this neutrality policy contributes to that or not. There is no proven link.  
 
That being said, let me just say this, Kyra. This wasn't an easy topic for me. I started out with I've got a three-year-old son. Do I want a teacher addressing this topic with him? But the more I subjected my opinion to rigorous thought, it gets easier. Yes, you've got to address homosexuality when it gets to sex-ed education.  
 
LZ brought up a big point, though. What about when you talk about history in fourth grade, you talk about the civil rights movement? Are you going to leave out the gay rights movement? The bottom line is it's about education. Education is about open discussion and thinking. I think you have to be able to address these topics to encourage that.  
 
And Will, just real quickly. Will brought up his son --
 
Absolutely.  
 
LZ, you're openly gay. You also are raising a child. What would you want for your child to experience in school?  
 
I would want him to experience tolerance and understanding exactly what that means. I don't want the teacher to tell my son whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong. That's up to me. But I want my son to have as much information as possible about the facts and being in an environment which he could be, whoever he wants to be and also encourage other students to do just that, as well.  
 
Final thought, Will.  
 
What's the risk? What's the risk to facts, that the teacher's advocating for it, influencing it? Look, I'm straight. I like girls. LZ couldn't wink 11 charmingly enough to woo me over. The point is, you are what you are and you can withstand the facts.  
 
Will, LZ, thank you, guys --
 
With a six-pack, Will, I can get just about anybody.  
 
Oh, boy. This is a whole other debate. Stay tuned 12 -- offline.  Thank you, gentlemen.