Jay Barth's Objectives are Clear -- Are Yours?
In February, the American Family Coalition blog asked what is "Jay Barth's Objective." Previously, a Right In Arkansas blog (no longer online / link review 12/2014) and the Arkansas News identified Barth as "one of the most liberal" in Arkansas politics and "openly gay." Dr. Jay Barth is a professor at Hendrix College in both the Politics and Gender Studies departments and a faculty member of the Clinton School of Public Service. He is the faculty advisor for the Unity/LGBSA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Straight Alliance), Young Democrats, and Pre-Law Society and has been noted by the Committee on Lesbian & Gay History
At the 2006 Arkansas Democrat State Convention, Barth chaired the platform committee that led in facilitating the removing of the "marriage plank" from the Arkansas Democrat Platform. The affirmative statement that "marriage is between a man and a woman" has been deleted! Barth's objectives are not unknown. He takes political and community actions that move Arkansas more to the "liberal" left. The days of the Arkansas conservative democrat may be are numbered.
To Barth's credit, his viewpoint and agenda are not hidden. He is totally "out" in both his lifestyle and beliefs. Read his publications and review his courses. He and others at Hendrix College have shifted their academic community closer to their worldview. To help understand Barth's vision for Arkansas' future, read what he wrote about Hendrix College on PlanetOut.com:
Tags: Jay Barth, political activist, objectives clear, Arkansas, Democrat Party, GLBT agenda, August, 2006 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
At the 2006 Arkansas Democrat State Convention, Barth chaired the platform committee that led in facilitating the removing of the "marriage plank" from the Arkansas Democrat Platform. The affirmative statement that "marriage is between a man and a woman" has been deleted! Barth's objectives are not unknown. He takes political and community actions that move Arkansas more to the "liberal" left. The days of the Arkansas conservative democrat may be are numbered.
To Barth's credit, his viewpoint and agenda are not hidden. He is totally "out" in both his lifestyle and beliefs. Read his publications and review his courses. He and others at Hendrix College have shifted their academic community closer to their worldview. To help understand Barth's vision for Arkansas' future, read what he wrote about Hendrix College on PlanetOut.com:
"I'm writing to nominate the place where I have taught for the last seven years. Hendrix may really be the most friendly and affirming school for GLBT students in the South. It truly is an island. There is a GLBT student group at Hendrix that is quite active, .... The GLB students at Hendrix tend to be incredibly well-integrated into the larger student body.... In recent years, the majority of student body presidents have been openly gay or lesbian and sexual orientation simply isn't an issue in most aspects of life at Hendrix where a large percentage of the student body is out. A few social events on campus are heterosexist, but that is really the exception. GLBT studies is part of a larger Gender Studies program. While the established course offerings on GLBT issues are not large (though I do teach a very popular Gender, Sexuality, and American Politics course), students do often set up independent studies related to GL issues. -- Dr. Jay Barth, Associate Professor, Department of Politics"What is the lesson to be learned? First, don't criticize Barth; his objective are "in the open" even though the press may not be reporting on Barth's objectives for Arkansas' future. Second, get busy! If you are a conservative, pro-life, traditional family value person, come "out" and take a public stand and work diligently to support your viewpoint regardless of your allegiance to a particular political party.
Tags: Jay Barth, political activist, objectives clear, Arkansas, Democrat Party, GLBT agenda, August, 2006 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 10:22 AM - Post Link
2 Comments:
I would just like to say that, as a current student of Dr. Barth's at Hendrix, I am both impressed and disappointed by your post. Dr. Barth's very deserving of the recent award he won, the "Arkansas Professor of the Year." Award, and has instilled in me a sense of public service and moral, political duty to preserve what I believe to be true and defend it against those who attack it. In no way, however, has Dr. Barth tried to impress his opinion on sexual orientation upon me. He has, if anything, tried adamantly to keep his personal opinions on relevant topics out of the classroom, much less those on topic not related to the southern politics course I just recently completed. He is a fantastic professor and anyone who would try to employ any method to say differently is either lying or simply doesn't know the man. I have an immense amount of respect for him, despite our difference in opinion on several issues. I would also argue that the administration is trying to move the student body as-of-late to a more centrist, conservative world-view, and decidedly not to the left.
As a former student and politics major--with the majority of my politics classes taught by Jay--I also must note Dr. Barth's impartiality and effectiveness in the classroom. Coming from a small town and having a very conservative perspective, I cannot help but stand up for Dr. Barth. He takes the utmost care, both in and out of class, to not only remove his personal viewpoints from class discussions, but also to encourage and foster all viewpoints in the classroom. Instead of using his position to further a liberal agenda (as professors in my graduate school now do), Dr. Barth's enthusiasm for the study and practice of politics was contagious to students of all political ideologies. If my fellow classmates hadn't told me about Dr. Barth's political leanings, I would have never perceived them from our in-class discussions. If he's anything, Dr. Barth is a fair professor in the classroom.
Moreover,certainly all Arkansans can appreciate a native son and academic who has dedicated his life to the study of our state's politics. Because of his passion for Arkansas, some of our brightest students, who could live anywhere, may take a second look at our home state. Keeping such students is essential if we are to continue moving Arkansas forward.
Regardless, Arkansas politics--and every Arkansan as a logical beneficiary--is fortunate Dr. Barth chose to come back to Arkansas. Thanks in large part to Dr. Barth's passion and insight in-class, I love our state and want to be a more active citizen.
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