Long Island Students Stand Up to Principal for Banning Gay-Straight Alliance
Yesterday we wrote about a group of students at Valley Stream South High School in Long Island, who were denied the opportunity to form a gay-straight alliance at their school by their principal, Maureen Henry. Principal Henry even told the students that words like "faggot" aren't all that offensive, and really don't mean anything.Cue the anger at an educator who could be so obtuse. And cue the solidarity of students at Valley Stream South, who showed up in droves at a rally yesterday demanding that the principal and the Superintendent of the school district allow the gay-straight alliance to move forward.
The rally was put together by LIGALY, the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth organization, and close to 200 students and community members showed up, chanting "GSA! GSA!" while school administrators watched from across the street. Media reports surfaced yesterday saying that the Principal, at the Superintendent's urging, had changed her tune on the gay-straight alliance, and was going to allow it to meet. But the students who put the gay-straight alliance proposal together still say that they haven't heard a word from school administrators, despite what the media is saying.
And that's why they're going to continue to ramp up the pressure, until the school district gives the students an official OK.
"Joe and Kelly and a number of other students have tried to start this club for four months ... they should be commended for standing up for their rights and for the rights of every single student at Valley Stream South High School," said LIGALY's CEO, David Kilmnick, referencing two of the students who wanted to start the gay-straight alliance. "Principal Henry needs to be held accountable for her discriminatory and offensive remarks to the students."
And listen to the roar of the crowd in the video below, when the call to hold Principal Henry accountable for her "faggots" comment is made.
But the best part in the video below might be when Joe, one of the students behind the idea of the gay-straight alliance, takes to the microphone and says how moved he is to see hundreds of his classmates stand with him in demanding a group for LGBT students and straight allies.
"I really didn't know that in Valley Stream South High School we had this much support. To see everyone out here, this just makes what we've been doing for the past four months so much for easier," Joe says, and then the crowd starts chanting "GSA! GSA!"
So how about it, Principal Henry and Superintendent Marsh? Are you going to listen to more than 200 of your students and give an official OK to this gay-straight alliance?
One last note: LIGALY notes that leaders with Valley Stream South High School have threatened to punish these student activists, by denying them a chance to come back for Senior Day for their disruption. Are you kidding me? First the principal says that "faggots" isn't an offensive term, and then students are threatened with punishment for standing up for their civil rights?
Welcome to Valley Stream South High School, where the student body operates in 2011, but the school administrators are stuck in the 1940s.
http://gayrights.change.org/
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