Wednesday at our PROUD meeting we were discussing our gay news. The issues at hand are now - A shirt that had a rainbow that had a no red circle with the slash and says, "God made Adam and Eve NOT Adam and Steve." The biggest issue I have with this is, the assistant principals, we'll call them X,Y, and Z and the student shall be called A. A walks by X several times during the lunch period and obviously X reads the shirt and doesn't say a word to it. Keep in mind that we have a STRICT dress code and I am always stopped by Y and Z for these small tiny NON revealing holes in my jeans. But, they allow such homophobia to be allowed? I do not agree with the way administration handled this issue. :bang:
thats disgusting i say go straight to your head/principal and complain!...if not i say to contact the board of govorners or contact local govt ...hell id even consider annon local media about blatant homophobia in schools.. but i say talk to principal to begin with
It's a delicate question. If your school promotes free speech and expression, then the person wearing that shirt is entitled to wear it. If your school prohibits hate speech, and gays and lesbians are a protected class, then the person is not entitled to wear it. I would discuss it with the principal, and point out that if you were to wear a shirt with slogans that were anti-black or anti-jew or whatever, that this would clearly not be acceptable, and so a shirt that is anti-gay should be equally unacceptable. It's possible the assistant principals are simply clueless and don't really think of the shirt as offensive.
I know at my school (before we had the awful uniform dress code), we couldn't wear anything that had an obscene or offensive message on it. Does your school have a rule like that? Either way, the assistant prinicipal should have said something to the kid. The shirt's message is obviously discriminating. There's a difference between free speech and hate speech.
I know some of my friends wore a shirt that said, "Do you like it hard?" and he was stopped and told to turn it inside out! So I don't understand the difference between that and the issue at hand. EDIT: The shirt, "Do you like it hard?" was referring to alcohol and not sex.
difference between beeing allowed free speech in a school environment and beeing allowed to spread hate and discrimination, a school is a place of learnign nota place to spread ignorance and inequality they are both good choices though
In the US, for better or worse, there's no federal law banning hate speech, unless it directly incites violence or harm or public disorder (i.e, encouraging someone to harm others or yelling "fire" in a crowded theater is not protected speech.) Canadians do have such a law and I think a number of other countries do too, but I believe the US has the most wide-reaching free speech laws in the world, and with that, unfortunately, comes the right of bigots to publicly say bigoted and racist and homophobic things. But schools seem to slowly be coming around to the idea that hate speech is not OK, and there are several Supreme Court cases that have ruled that schools have some right to curtail speech by students and teachers. So many schools are prohibiting such slogans on shirts. Only problem is, you prohibit a shirt like that, and if the parents are religious loonies, then all the sudden you have some crazy right-wing group suing the school for violating their religious freedom to offend gay people. Definitely a mess.
the shirt itself is pretty clear in its hate rainbow+nosign = no lgbt people as its recognised we stole rainbows like pirates stole parrots
It's a tricky area like calchip said. Like, if someone LGBT saw that shirt and went and killed themselves the administration would obviously have to be like okay, maybe shirts like that aren't alright. But if they promote freedom of speech/expression, then there's not much you can do. Also as was mentioned, America has clear exceptions to the first amendment. Everything else is fair game outside of those exceptions. So unless hate speech is being applied in a way that's coercing someone to harm someone else, causing public panic, or defamation of character there's not much that can be done.
people really need to understand where freedom of speech ends and be that words or symbolism and hatred and negative promotion begins in this case it isnt acceptable anywhere...apart from certain unlikeable areas of teh world... and if somebody felt the hatred of this symbolism and its implied meanign and did commit suicide i would hope there would be more reaction than hmm maybe we should look at this i would want teh board of govoners in the district super intendant the local govt to all lok at this see the missery and torment pupils are exposed to and how the staff stick up for the victimisers and ignore the pleads of the victims.... teh principal and all subsequent vice principals should lose their jobs... any other and its not right but like i say taking these things further... i say talk to the principal...a good way though of getting your agenda out there is if someone is runnig for office or re ellection tell tehm abotu this ... human rights go down well in politics at the moment... if you actually do somthign abotu it...on a quick side note mr obama DO SOMTHING ALLREADY!!!!!! .... anyway yea XD ---------- outside of school tehy have the right to say and show these hateful things and we have to counter argue their points best we can and rely on peopels sanity and good judgement to ignore these narrowminded people but in a school nobody is to be shunned or victamised it si to be a place of equality and understanding...schools haver a code of cunduct against bllying and prejudice...if tehy dont then move schools as its a sick hole... there is no school that i know of that would allow this its like having a shirt on saying " i ahte black people " thats freedom of speech but its disgusting and vile and has no place withen the bouderies of a school..... the only problem with freedom of speech in the real world it doesent gie me teh freedom to punch them for beeing so vile...but its an imperfect world we live in... p.s im sorry if anyoen took offence to my refference/ comparrison in this message it was not meant to offend simply a strong example of the sort of hate that if freedom of speech overides discrimantion and hatered its what some peopel would do... sorry again X
So I broke out the Student Planner and went straight for the handbook! "Quoted from the Schools Bullying Policy:" Defined under Harassment- The ___ School Corporation does not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, race, nation origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, martial or parental status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disabilities or handicap in education programs or activities. Harassment of a student(s) or staff member by other students or any member of the staff is contrary to the School Board's commitment to provide a physically and psychologically safe environment in which to learn may be a violation of Federal or State law. In a group situation, each person is guilty of lending his or her influence to the group and will be responsible for what may have happened as a result of the actions of the group. Harassment include any speech or action that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive learning environment. Policies and consequences for student behavior apply while at school; while traveling to school or any school-sponsored event; and while participating in any school sponsored event whether it is at South or an off-site location. Now to my spew. They have obviously violated their own guidelines ~ It obviously created an offensive learning environment for the student to address it at proud and speak with the Club Advisers about it. The principals need to enforce what they're shoving down our throats.
Ok, ok, now stop complaining about it and go do something about it. You've discussed this in your PROUD group, but have you talked to those APs or the principal? I mean, if nobody complains to the AP, maybe his train of thought is Ok, that shirt is kinda offensive. Right? Umm...if I make the kid get rid of it, I have one angry kid/parent in my hands. If I just ignore it, well, nobody's complained yet, so it can't be THAT bad. It's probably just nothing. Kids these days have the most ridiculous t-shirts. Now if you HAVE dealt with the higher-ups and they have done nothing, bring on the complaints! And then go work your way even higher up. Get some parents involved too for bonus the fun! And then you can go sell pro-rainbow shirts to the whole school I suppose.
I am only one person and yes I have wrote the School Board a letter and they have received it. I don't know what is going on and I doubt I will know!! As I am sure it will all be laughed or dealt with behind closed doors. PROUD does a lot at my school and there is mainly only eight of us, we sponsor Trick or Treat for UNICEF, we sell all kinds of, "gay" schwag so I am sure we will be selling, "rainbows" around our school soon. To Eccentric: I will complain all day if I well so please. Sorry to be so blunt about it!
I think it's great that your school has a clear non-discrimination, non-harassment policy. Many do not, so you're lucky there. And I think it's really great that you've taken the time to actually do something about it by writing the school board. I would be gently and respectfully persistent. I also believe that you are entitled to know what is going to be done; almost every state in the US has what's called a "sunshine law" and that basically requires that all public entities, such as school boards, discuss and decide all issues in public. The only exception to this is personnel matters or issues that relate to individual students, because there are privacy concerns. But this is a matter that relates to school policy, so they *must* address is publicly and publicize what they plan to do. Most school board meetings have time for the public to speak, so perhaps you should call up the board secretary and ask for time, and go speak at the next one. It's people like you who push the question and force people to address things they might not be comfortable with who keep the process of increasing the rights for all moving forward.
I get the feeling that my post was misinterpreted, or at least the tone of it. I don't see anything wrong with your complaining, as long as you're not sitting around doing nothing to try to change things. And you ARE taking action with your letter to the board, although I still think it'd be a good idea to talk directly to those APs that you are interested in.
Well once again it appears that I am a member of the dissenting opinion. I fully support the students right to wear the shirt. I find it disturbing that we want to ban speech just because we find it unsettling and unpalatable. This persons message is not inciting violence, it is merely presenting the persons political and/or religious belief. Instead of taking away another's rights I would suggest that you also exercise your right to present your message and convince others why you find the aforementioned message offensive and wrong.
Thankfully Great Britain has a uniform policy in virtually every school and It's at times like this that wearing a shirt tie and blazer for 13 years dosn't seem like such a bad thing. Have you considered dropping by the Headmasters office after school and syaing 'look i've made this complaint but i have heard nothing and I would apriciate you taking 5 minuets of your time to update me on whats happening' It always worked for me with physical and emontional bullying i suffered but then i was the teachers pet On the other hand what have you got to lose execpt 10 mins of your time? America was founded on the principle of freedom, but freedom does not equal the ability to infict physical or mental abuse on others without consiquence
thats all well and good in the outside world...but a school is a prodfessional environment that has to have a policy of no discrimination or victimisation... sure outside school tehy say somthign you say somthign back you argue tillthe cows come home...but inside school you shouldent have to be subjected to abuse...and if you are teh staff have an obligation to take action on it... a school or educational institution has an obligation to protect a students physical and mental wellbeing... and too what said above about uniform yea they did have the use but when i went to college people didnt wear uniforms we wore jus tregular clothing but it wsa understood as it is in all areas of society if you wear somthign innapropriate theer will be consiquences ---------- [/COLOR]if you wore a shit that said "suck this" in the street its fine you may get looks the police might try stopping you but its your given right to express yourself... but if you enter an establishment of any kind and you upset patrons with it ylou can be asked to leave... freedom of speech and expression doesent give you the right to be an asshole... This persons message is not inciting violence, it is merely presenting the persons political and/or religious belief. are you saying political and religious beliefs dont create violence? please tell em your not...and people can express political and religious beliefs but theres a line! political beliefs...gay peole should be arrested and it outlawed anbody not white should be hunted and thrown into the sea... anybody poor should be made to be slaves... religious beliefs... coloured people are the servants of teh devil...gay people are sick evil twisted curropt and must be killed stoned hung shot murdered.... these are jsut peoples beliefs in this world... that doesent make them right if you saw people spreading these views would you just be fine with it and walk by? if this kid wearing the shirt was beating up another kid shouting "you filthy fag" would that be alright hes only expressing his beliefs after all so is it right ? no! you can say what you want but theres a line... most people will jsut ignore you past this line but when it upsets and causes distress...then its got to be stopped... the whole ill fight to teh death for your right to say it shit only goes so far...speaking out against monarchys and goverments and institutions and people based on decent good facts is one thing but speaking out and expressing vile thoughts is not good for the world and will only cause more hurt and missery and this world doesent need anymore of that. p.s sorry to anyone who takes offence to my posts i do speak strongly as i care about peoplevictimising others been there recieved its hell...i personally love all good people irrespective of race sexuality and all that stuff XD x
