I was doing better. Really.

Then I checked the Village Voice website, and found this Houston Chronicle article about how textbooks are being delayed because the wording "legitimizes homosexuality".

The culprits? The words "couples" and "partners".

"Neutrality — the word 'partners' — when you use neutrality, the very purpose of using that language is to be inclusive of homosexuality," [board member Terri] Leo said.

Leo proposed dozens of language revisions that would change the wording to "husbands and wives" and "men and women."

Okay. Look. I used to be a technical writer. You want brevity in textbooks. "Couples" and "partners" are more economical in a book. And that's it. There's no hidden agenda. Sweet bleeding Christ. Oh, wait, I'll get in trouble for that.

There's also this nugget:

Dozens of speakers at public hearings in July and September asked the board to reject high school health books for failing to meet a curriculum requirement that requires students to "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods, including the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, keeping in mind the effectiveness of remaining abstinent until marriage."

Fine. Throw abstinence in there. That will stop high school kids from screwing around. That's realistic.

Sorry for the rant, I wish I could be more coherent in making a reasoned defense, but between articles like this and Tuesday it just makes my brain cry...