Trevor Wilkinson, the gay Texas high school senior suspended for painting his nails, has dealt a blow to his school administration in the best possible way. In addition to becoming a national and internet celebrity, Wilkinson has netted 130,000 signatures on a petition to have his in-school suspension overturned with more than half of those coming in overnight.
Wilkinson attends Clyde High School near the Texas city of Abeline. When he returned from Thanksgiving break last week, teachers disciplined him for having painted nails–something prohibited in males per the school’s dress code. Wilkinson accepted an in-school suspension, but didn’t do so quietly. He launched a petition on Change.org with a goal of 150,000 signatures to have his disciplinary action overturned.
Related: Thousands support Texas gay teen suspended from school for wearing nail polish
“Hello, my name is Trevor Wilkinson and I am a senior at Clyde High School,” the student wrote on his petition page. “Today, I got ISS (in school suspension) for having my nails painted. I was told that I will continue to get ISS until I take them off. It’s a complete double standard because girls are allowed to paint and get their nails done. Not only that, but freedom of expression is validation enough that the dress code and policy is not okay.”
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“I am a gay male and I’m beyond proud,” he continues. “This is unjust and not okay. Help me show that it is okay to express yourself and that the identity that society wants to normalize is not okay. I am a human. I am valid. I should not get in trouble for having my nails done. Sign and share this so people like me don’t have to ever deal with this again. It’s time for a change and that time is now.”
At the time of this writing, almost 137,000 people have signed the petition, with Wilkinson getting a significant boost after Good Morning America reported on his story December 7. School officials at Clyde High have not given a straight answer as to whether popular outcry could lead to the school overturning Wikliknson’s suspension. The school did, however, tell Good Morning America that it “appreciates the feedback” and will “take it into consideration.”
FIERCELY FIGHTING BACK: High school senior Trevor Wilkinson was suspended for wearing nail polish to school — now he is speaking a call for change.@ErielleReshef reports. https://t.co/j7P84hQ1eH pic.twitter.com/IfxUSLe7Mi
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 7, 2020
Cam
Countdown to the same old Right wing troll coming on here going “Wwaaaaaaa! Rules are rules, and um…..maybe they were put in um…..for a good reason….um…..to protect him!”
There is nothing that Republican smarmy bigots hate more than having a light shined on them. They will change the policy now that they’re getting attention.
iggy6666
You just can’t help yourself can you…..
Kanaka4127
I’m with you Cam. Keep calling them out!
Phillip
For goodness sake, can’t this school find something better to do than to discriminate against this boy’s fingernails? They’re going to have a lawsuit on their hands if they don’t get back in their own lane and just teach the kids general education and stop trying to shape them all into “cookie-cutter kids.”
If the girls can color their nails then so should the boys be able to do it as well. Why do these Neanderthals get so bent out of shape? Whom is it hurting? Just DO YOUR JOB OF TEACHING and that should be sufficient. It’s really none of your business what they wear, how they express themselves or what they wear. YOUR rules are made only because what they do OFFENDS YOU! Get over it and just do your job.
flipper
“appreciates the feedback”, “will take it into consideration” = Orwellian speak for “already put your comments in the trash”.
GO TREVOR!
AxelDC
Yet I’m sure they don’t have a mask mandate.
WashDrySpin
It is fingernails…who cares…if girls can do it…boys should be able to do it…it is high school…a place that is miserable for many gays
Brian
I wonder if the school suspends students for harassing, bullying, or beating minorities. I have an inkling that they don’t care about that.
Mack
I agree with you there. And of course it’s Texas so bigotry rules the brain.
Cam
Nailed it.
barryaksarben
they probably encourage it
jsmu
TexASS yet again lol. Constantly trying to wrest the ‘worst state in amurriKKKa’ title away from floriDUHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Terrycloth
If he is painting his nails while in class then no..eyes on teacher or the books..if he comes to class and they are already painted so be it..maybe the school.dosent want earrings , painted nails or make up on boys ..its texas..girls are girls and boys should be boys ? If that’s not the case then.change your rules..
Judespeak
It’s Abilene, not “Abeline.” Google is your pal!
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I stand with the school’s enforcement of its rules but the suspension does seem a bit heavy handed in todays environment. I think it a good thing in the sense where it reminds students that though they understand there are times when others are in charge and you must do as they say. In other words consider the rules as your boss until you graduate. In real life such rules would be in effect until you changed jobs.
Openminded
In real life, you can bet this kid won’t take a job where silly rules like these affect his job. I’m all for following sensible rules, but these are not sensible rules and it’s makes no sense that they were even put into place. For that reason, I can support his peaceful protest. As many have said, IT’S JUST HIS FINGERNAILS!!!, it’s not like he is walking in looking like Bozo the clown and distracting from other’s education. If any other student claims his nails distract their attention, THAT student needs help. Seems to me this kid is just trying to be himself, but since that doesn’t exactly follow the ideas that the leadership has, they deem it wrong.
Cam
What a shock, the account that often defends bigots agrees with the school.
Please, by all means, explain why the particular rule about nail polish, considering they allow women to wear it, is so important to you.
nunya
Openminded, what IF the kid self identifies as Bozo the Clown? Should the school deny him the right to express himself as he truly believes himself to be? So what if it causes a disruption? That’s on the other students who should be expected to control themselves and respect his right to be Bozo. Right?
nunya
This could backfire on the rest of the students with the school changing the dress code prohibiting all makeup regardless of sex, gender, or orientation. Then you’ll see his support fizzle like a wet firecracker. Life is about picking and choosing your battles wisely.
Cam
Shocker, the same account pushing out Trump Covid conspiracies on the thread about possibly getting the ambassadorship to China is here trying insinuate that the gay kid is the real problem here.
Roy Ajax
nunya
Don’t stress about Cam, I suspect his mom is late bringing down his chicken nuggies and Mountain Dew so he’s just cranky.
nunya
I’m not concerned with Cam. He’s not bright enough to argue with.
Kanaka4127
“Check out Queerty”, friends told me. “It’s a stitch.” I thought I had but by the look of some of these comments you’d think it’s the Log Cabin blog. Reminds me of the queens sipping martinis at Happy Hour while Act Up were demonstrating.