A high school in Springfield, Missouri welcomed back students for the first day of classes on Monday, but just outside the campus, protesters gathered.
In fact, two separate protests were held Monday at Kickapoo High School after Principal Bill Powers told teachers to remove any LGBTQ Pride flags from their classrooms before the school year kicked off.
The teachers were told the flags violate a school district policy on employee speech and conduct, but that explanation isn’t cutting it for local LGBTQ and ally activists.
Related: Florida high school enacts insane new LGBTQ policy and everyone’s thinking the same thing
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
One of the protests was organized by drag artist Brett Baxley, who graduated from a school in the same district in 2018.
“Issues in Springfield Public Schools are really close to my heart. As an existing queer person in SPS, I know how difficult it can be in this area,” Baxley told the Springfield News-Leader. “I know that teachers who were allies were one of the only reasons that I was able to make it through my high school experience.”
Baley Talburt, another district grad who showed up to protest, called the policy “absolutely ridiculous,” adding, “I can’t even put into words how mad I am.”
Related: This gay high school music teacher was blackmailed and outed; his school responded horribly
Baxley said the protest was not about “making a political statement about our existence,” but about maintaining the classroom as a safe space for LGBTQ students.
“Seeing a Pride flag signals safety to me. In this world, especially in this area, not everybody is going to take you at face value and just treat you like a human being,” he said. “When you see that Pride flag, you know that you are safe in the instance of your queerness. You don’t have to fear discrimination or poor treatment.”
He added: “We’re seeing this kind of thing happening across the country currently with right-wing people being elected to school boards. This is a national issue. It’s a district-wide issue and to just see it rear its head here locally is really jarring.”
Related: Florida teen warned not to ‘say gay’ during graduation speech finds perfectly shady solution
The protesters hope the district will reassess its policy, and none of them want to see Missouri become the next state to mimic Florida’s current disaster.
Unfortunately, over a dozen states — including Missouri — have proposed variants of Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. A Missouri bill would ban “gender or sexual diversity training” in public schools.
WillParkinson
They won’t be happy until LGBTQ people are forced back into the closet.
Huron132
Closet? Until we are obliterated. History shows even in the closet, that closet was being busted down and LGBTQ+ community was being tortured. Again it’s a Nazi state. They would love to give us showers to get rid of us, or shove us in an oven.
Kangol2
Sounds like a First Amendment violation; the teachers are operating in a public school system, and I would assume neither the federal government nor the right-wing RepubliQan Missouri state governments or its representatives can quash the free speech of these public employees, especially without one of those hateful, homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” laws in place. Then again, I’m sure there’s some way they’ll try to get around this.
Boybussy
Since these scumbags think the gay community is going back into the closet…I say screw a pride month..we should celebrate pride every month for a week straight….see how they like it then??
inbama
Doesn’t anybody teach math anymore?
mailliw110
Obviously you haven’t seen the inside of a school since you left (graduated or dropped out). There’s probably one within walking distance from your hovel. I’m pretty sure they’d love to have you come and volunteer. I know the school where I work would.
DLR1965
As a Brit, it’s extremely difficult to understand how the USA has regressed so rapidly in what seems like a very short time!?
There are homophobic, racist and mysoginistic bigots in all countries and all walks of life, but it seems that the USA is governed and ruled by them.
To allow these ignorant bullies to dictate is shocking to us, and only serves to remind us of Europe in the 1930’s.
inbama
Our “Civil War” really never ended.
Every time it’s thwarted, the Slave State Christianity finds another target.
Ronbo
What you are seeing is breakdown of BIG anti-LGBTQ bigotry into more smaller bits of bigotry. When you shatter a single glass ceiling – be it gay, female, minority, etc… one large blockage becomes many many bits of shattered glass.
It’s not getting worse, trust me. We are no longer being hauled into jail and being shamed by having our picture posted and careers immediately shattered. Structural bigotry that is no longer acceptable, is naturally replaced by this kind of nonsense.
If your life is ruined because flag-discrimination, thank God you didn’t have to hide and lie and go to jail while being publicly shamed. If you want to be more than just a complainer – maybe you need to call the teachers involved and put them in touch with the ACLU.
Stop being victims and show appreciation for the previous generations who built the roads to a more humane future. If you see a pebble, don’t fall on the ground in fear – throw it aside.
Ronbo
If you need help, it’s better to call for help and assume the power. Perhaps the teachers could replace flags, by asking the students these create art to adorn the walls. Afterall, a corporate-profited flag means a hell of a lot less than than REAL student created art piece which actually expresses LGBTQ true feelings.
Don’t forget that entities like the esteemed HRC organization actually coordinated with corporate entities in opposition to defeating DADT and DOMA in court. Joe Solmonese refused to support Obergefell v. Hodges – until AFTER it became law. You see HRC became a corporate-like entity that prized their HUGE corporate and public dontations MORE than achieving equality for gay people.
Ronbo
PS Joe Solmonese is the person at the DNC who was outspoken against Democrats enshrining abortion rights into law – and he is the person responsible for DNC fundraising on our lost abortion rights.
Which do we need more – reproductive rights or fundraising on lost rights? Joe is a money man and brought in millions.
The root of all evil is the love of money.
Terrycloth
Wear rainbow colors to school every day EVERYBODY..there’s power in numbers. I’d protest. They have a hard time keeping teachers as it is.be more sad if there were NO students to teach .you need happy students to be themselves.. it’s not we will teach everyone but YOU..you teach