In Ponce de Leon, FL, a high school has deemed that any propoganda that supports gay rights is illegal and would be considered disruptive to learning. So any student that shows up with a rainbow sticker on a binder or simply says to another student "I support gay rights" could be suspended for contributing to a disruptive environment. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the school stating that the school is "trampling the First Amendment rights of students who support equal rights for gay people." The school's stand is that students that promote the gay lifestyle are a part of a secret illegal organization.
This just bothers me for so many reason. One - where the hell does the school get off? Do they really think it's okay to do this. Two - don't they know this will foster an environment where some will think it's okay to harass and harm. This homophobic stance of the school administration will definitely translate to homophobia in the students (hatred is a learned behavior). And finally - the damage this will do to the gay and lesbian students themselves. This is a message to those students that this part of their lives needs to be silenced. There is a reason there is a high rate of suicide among LGBT youth and this school is only adding to the problem.
Did I only dream that we made it to the new millenium? Oh yeah - we're talking about a school in the South. I'm from the South and yes there are still plenty of ignorant people there. And unfortunately lots of them are still in positions of power. Luckily - many of them are old. They're just not dying off fast enough.
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