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Apparently, the Okeechobee County School District didn't like the idea of a club that promotes tolerance of homosexuals meeting at Okeechobee High School. But equal access is the law, which applies to the Gay-Straight Alliance of Okeechobee High. It shouldn't have taken the students' lawsuit to teach the school district that lesson.
Senior Yasmin Gonzalez and others say that in forming the gay-straight alliance in September, their objective was to create a safe environment for students, regardless of sexual orientation, to discuss issues such as gender identity and homophobia. Principal Toni Wiersma, however, said the school doesn't allow non-curricular clubs. But the handbook, accessible on the Okeechobee High Web site, shows that the school recognizes several, such as the Crime Watch Club. Even a Crochet Club can use school facilities. At that point, Ms. Wiersma reportedly said that the school has too many clubs. More telling is Superintendent Patricia Cooper's comment to The Okeechobee News: "We are an abstinence-only district and we do not condone or promote any type of sexual activity." But the club, which has been meeting at the public library and a Pizza Hut and has 60 members, does not exist to "promote" sexual activity. It also isn't just a gay student club. The five alliances in Palm Beach County and another in St. Lucie are among 3,000 registered with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. "The school is taking a legally indefensible stance, simply out of anti-gay bigotry," says the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Robert Rosenwald of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. He is asking the court to expedite the case "so the kids don't have to miss the whole school year while the case is being litigated." The case, Mr. Rosenwald said, also points up the need for a comprehensive anti-harassment policy to come through the Legislature this year. "Right now, there is no training for administrators and no rule of thumb to go by. Even if there is harassment of gay students, teachers let it go because no one has told them it is wrong." Recent high-profile cases - Mark Foley, the Rev. Ted Haggard - suggest that dealing with questions of sexual orientation early may prevent self-destructive struggles. At Okeechobee High, the students are ready to discuss what the adults pretend doesn't exist. Source: palmbeachpost.com |
