Ali Lai, a student at at Maquoketa High School in eastern Iowa, was following in the footsteps of Tennessee’s Cole Gofort when he wore a “I <3 Lady Gay Gay” shirt to school this month. Administrators claim they didn’t know if Ali was being mean spirited or supporting the gays, so the assistant principal told Ali to change or turn his shirt inside out. The superintendent backed up that call.
“I don’t think [the shirt is] inappropriate,” says Ali. Neither does classmate Raina Costello, who organized “Gay Is Okay Day,” where some thirty students planned to wear tees with pro-gay slogans printed on them to counter what she thinks is the school’s crack down on First Amendment rights. (Remember, kids: Schools can play with kids’ free speech rights, but only if they can show exercising expression interferes with a school’s normal activities.)
Ali wore the shirt again to school last week. Administrators didn’t say a word — which is exactly how this story was supposed to turn out.
Sceth
The right wasn’t quite won; it was recognized.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Yai for Ali Lai! :p
Mike
Oh give me a break. This is just getting ridiculous. Is this honestly what were fighting for? To wear a stupid shirt that says “I heart lady gay gay”? That doesn’t even make sense.
eyesiq
That man had an iMac. There’s no way he has no idea about that shirt.
TonyD
Maybe the principal was gay and wanted to save the student from bad taste? Just throwing it out there…there are more meaningful/ less pop cultured means to discover/express pieces of one’s self identity.
Chris
win win win
Aaron in Honolulu
I want one of her shirts. Ooh, and that NOM NOM NOM shirt. I applaud these kids with their brave activism đ