Not able (or willing) to leave their religious beliefs at home, five teachers in a San Leandro, CA high school have refused to decorate their (undoubtedly shabby) classrooms with bright and cheery rainbow flag posters created by the school’s gay/straight student alliance. We'd love to think that this was just a few close-minded folks if it wasn't for the lovely back story:

In 1997, a parents group at the high school demanded that a gay teacher be fired after she came out to her class. In 2002, high school English teacher Karl Debro settled a lawsuit with the district for $1 million after he was disciplined for giving a lecture on racism and homophobia. A judge declared unconstitutional a district policy banning "controversial issues" from the classroom without a principal's approval.

Sounds like some San Leandrans need to cross the bay over to San Francisco more often. Nothing opens minds like a field trip to the Castro, where students will encounter fun-loving queers, jovial leather daddies, and, yes, non-threatening rainbow flags on every corner.

Teachers won't put up posters on gay rights 5 instructors balk at directive, apparently over religious beliefs [SF Gate]