Students forced to remove shirts with slogan Gay O.K.

[marylander1940]

These middle schoolers wore the homemade T-shirts in support of a gay classmate who had been harassed. (Photo: NBC5)

 

When a group of middle school students in Texas came to class wearing T-shirts that announced their backing of LGBT rights, they thought they were supporting a classmate who had recently been bullied for coming out—as well as exercising their right to free speech.

 

STORY: Gay Student Finally Allowed to Deliver Controversial Speech

 

But school officials deemed the T-shirts a violation of the school dress code, which prohibits “disruptive” or “distracting” clothes. They demanded that the kids take them off, according to news station NBC-5. The clash sparked a battle that pitted school administrators against students during the last week of the school year.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/controversy-erupts-after-students-forced-to-remove-120783285067.html

[mmk123]

Good for those students!!!! They showed bravery and courage!!!! It is sad that it was the 7th and 8th graders teaching the school administrators something that they were too dense to realize.

[ZhenXBear]

Good for them! Every time I read of kids being bullied in high school for being gay it makes me incredibly sad. This young man is incredibly brave, intelligent and courageous. If only, he lived in a more tolerant community that would have allowed him to deliver his speech on his actual "day". I don't understand how members of the Board of Education, could deny the Valedictorian from speaking from his heart and sharing something about himself that was clearly very personal; they will be judged for their silent disapproval.

[instudiocity]

When a group of middle school students in Texas came to class wearing T-shirts that announced their backing of LGBT rights, they thought they were supporting a classmate who had recently been bullied for coming out—as well as exercising their right to free speech.

 

STORY: Gay Student Finally Allowed to Deliver Controversial Speech

 

But school officials deemed the T-shirts a violation of the school dress code, which prohibits “disruptive” or “distracting” clothes. They demanded that the kids take them off, according to news station NBC-5. The clash sparked a battle that pitted school administrators against students during the last week of the school year.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/controversy-erupts-after-students-forced-to-remove-120783285067.html

Be careful not to confuse two separate articles.

 

Marylander1940 has copied and pasted an article from yahoo.com about Texas Middle School Girls wearing "Gay O.K." T-shirts to their Texas Middle School in support of a gay middle school student at that school.

 

This link STORY: Gay Student Finally Allowed to Deliver Controversial Speech in the middle of the copied & pasted article tells of a high school senior valedictorian in Denver being prohibited from coming out in his graduation valedictory speech.

 

That's two different things. The Texas middle schooler was bullied.

 

The Denver senior was told the subject of his homosexuality wasn't appropriate for a valedictory address. Some might call it bullying, but achieving the highest gpa doesn't necessarily permit someone to celebrate his homosexuality in the venue of graduation ceremonies where all are celebrating their own personal educational achievements. I'm not sure announcing your same sex attraction equals the completion of high school. I'm not sure thanking Jesus you're graduating is appropriate either.

[marylander1940]

Be careful not to confuse two separate articles.

 

Marylander1940 has copied and pasted an article from yahoo.com about Texas Middle School Girls wearing "Gay O.K." T-shirts to their Texas Middle School in support of a gay middle school student at that school.

 

This link STORY: Gay Student Finally Allowed to Deliver Controversial Speech in the middle of the copied & pasted article tells of a high school senior valedictorian in Denver being prohibited from coming out in his graduation valedictory speech.

 

That's two different things. The Texas middle schooler was bullied.

 

The Denver senior was told the subject of his homosexuality wasn't appropriate for a valedictory address. Some might call it bullying, but achieving the highest gpa doesn't necessarily permit someone to celebrate his homosexuality in the venue of graduation ceremonies where all are celebrating their own personal educational achievements. I'm not sure announcing your same sex attraction equals the completion of high school. I'm not sure thanking Jesus you're graduating is appropriate either.

 

Yes, those are too different stories yet for conservatives it's all the same evil thing about high school students expressing themselves in a way they don't like.

 

I started a different thread about that valedictorian who was allowed to speak later. I think he wanted to say it because the felt he had to do it. I wouldn't judge what people say in a speech when they're in high school but I think he just wanted to tell the other students "not to be afraid of being themselves" which makes a lot of sense for folks graduating from high school.

[instudiocity]

I think PARENTS, conservative and liberal, believe school-aged children should not be sexualized in public forums, neither the bulling of a middle schooler nor the Coming Out of a graduating senior during his valedictory address.

 

To every thing there is a time and a place. Not everything needs to be broadcast especially in the presence of childhood innocence. If another graduating senior was the eldest in the family, do they really want their younger siblings to be exposed to the pronouncement of another student's homosexuality during the celebration of everyone's high school graduation? Seems a bit R-Rated and selfish to me.

[Kenny]

I think PARENTS, conservative and liberal, believe school-aged children should not be sexualized in public forums, neither the bulling of a middle schooler nor the Coming Out of a graduating senior during his valedictory address.

 

To every thing there is a time and a place. Not everything needs to be broadcast especially in the presence of childhood innocence. If another graduating senior was the eldest in the family, do they really want their younger siblings to be exposed to the pronouncement of another student's homosexuality during the celebration of everyone's high school graduation? Seems a bit R-Rated and selfish to me.

 

Being gay is not only about sex. And these kids were minors (13 & 14), but not children. And "childhood innocence" is a myth, promoted in the United States in the early 19th century -- a way to let parents avoid taking responsibility for the complex problems of everyday life. There's a very good book on the subject called "The Cute & the Cool: Wondrous Innocence and Modern American Children's Culture."

[instudiocity]

Being gay is not only about sex. And these kids were minors (13 & 14), but not children. And "childhood innocence" is a myth, promoted in the United States in the early 19th century -- a way to let parents avoid taking responsibility for the complex problems of everyday life. There's a very good book on the subject called "The Cute & the Cool: Wondrous Innocence and Modern American Children's Culture."

I obviously touched a buzz word you are brainwashed by having read this book.

[Kenny]

I obviously touched a buzz word you are brainwashed by having read this book.

Yes, knowledge is a curse.

[instudiocity]

Yes, knowledge is a curse.

Childhood innocence is a reality.

[Kenny]

Childhood innocence is a reality.

Hm. Wonder why children often lie?

[instudiocity]

Hm. Wonder why children often lie?

Seriously? You want to go there?

 

Really, you need to give me the book author's definition of childhood innocence.

 

My concept dates to Judeo-Christian ethics and is centuries old. Your narrowed one book perspective has made you quite arrogant in your one blub responses.

[Kenny]

Seriously? You want to go there?

 

Really, you need to give me the book author's definition of childhood innocence.

 

My concept dates to Judeo-Christian ethics and is centuries old. Your narrowed one book perspective has made you quite arrogant in your one blub responses.

Exactly right. It derives from Judeo Christian mythology in the West -- "the fall from grace" -- and is unheard of in other ancient traditions in Asia, sub-Sahara Africa, the Pacific and elsewhere. Children lie because they are human, not pure. Their humanity should be embraced, not denied. (A whole literature on the subject exists.) The humanity of those middle schoolers wearing "Gay is OK" t-shirts is a joy to behold. Punishing them for it is cruel and self-destructive.

[McLeanspider]

Exactly right. It derives from Judeo Christian mythology in the West -- "the fall from grace" -- and is unheard of in other ancient traditions in Asia, sub-Sahara Africa, the Pacific and elsewhere. Children lie because they are human, not pure. Their humanity should be embraced, not denied. (A whole literature on the subject exists.) The humanity of those middle schoolers wearing "Gay is OK" t-shirts is a joy to behold. Punishing them for it is cruel and self-destructive.

 

Exactly!

 

Besides who are they bothering or hurting?

[instudiocity]

Exactly right. It derives from Judeo Christian mythology in the West -- "the fall from grace" -- and is unheard of in other ancient traditions in Asia, sub-Sahara Africa, the Pacific and elsewhere. Children lie because they are human, not pure. Their humanity should be embraced, not denied. (A whole literature on the subject exists.) The humanity of those middle schoolers wearing "Gay is OK" t-shirts is a joy to behold. Punishing them for it is cruel and self-destructive.

Wait! What about "And "childhood innocence" is a myth, promoted in the United States in the early 19th century -- a way to let parents avoid taking responsibility for the complex problems of everyday life."????? It was only promoted in the 19th Century???? Your absolutes aren't quite so absolute.

 

FYI, Children learn to lie from the experts they are surrounded by from birth forward. They don't lie anymore often that adults. Their lies tend to be at their grade-level, so not nearly so sophisticated and self-deluding as adult lies.

[instudiocity]

Exactly!

 

Besides who are they bothering or hurting?

The unintended audience? Those who came to a high school graduation ceremony with no thoughts on the sexuality of the valedictorian nor any other student participating in the celebration of academic achievement? And as I posted earlier, the younger siblings of those graduates, who really don't need to know the valedictorian is a gay man(?). I use the man(?) to indicate that an 18 year old adolescent hasn't completed puberty yet and wouldn't be considered an adult for a few more years.

[+ quoththeraven]

I do not understand why T-shirts saying "Gay OK" in support of a fellow middle school student who is being bullied are some big deal, nor (if we have to drag it in too) why a high school valedictory speech can't include self-revelation. Just because the OP thinks they're related doesn't mean everyone else who comments has to.

 

Being gay is not only about sex. It is also about one's fundamental orientation to the world, and combating the notion that heterosexuality is not only the default but the only right way to live and be is about recognizing human diversity. If it were, then no one should be able to mention heterosexuality in schools either. Heavens, the idea behind marrying includes the possibility of sexual reproduction through fucking, which is how the vast majority of the children at the school came into being! Quelle horreur!

 

There are arguments that can be made that I don't happen to agree with that coming out is alternately too political an act for a high school valedictory speech or too persona a one, but that it's inappropriate for young children to hear just baffles me. This is not what innocence means to me, and I'm a parent.

[Kenny]

Since when is graduation just "a celebration of academic achievement"? If academics are all high school is, time to shut down the football program.

 

As for the 19th century promotion of the myth of childhood innocence, thank the rise of the Industrial Revolution and the decline of the agrarian world. The family structure changed completely, including individual roles. Complicated, I know. Also true.