First, Kanye demanded that straights “take back the rainbow” from the gays and now this. Is there no end to the Rainbow Wars? David Svornic, a school principal in Peoria, Arizona has a letter waiting on his desk when he gets back from Spring Break next week. After calling Natali Quintanilla and telling her that her 14-year-old son couldn’t wear a rainbow wristband with the phrase “Rainbows are Gay”, or at the very least, he had to turn it inside out, because her son was, he allegedly said “putting his sexuality out there.”
Svornic, who called the wristbands “offensive” an a “disruption” is the target of an ACLU complaint, which points out that students were allowed to wear black armbands in opposition to the Vietnam War, based on a Supreme Court ruling 40 years ago. The letter concludes, ““It is our hope that the district will now allow Chris and other students to wear or otherwise display messages or symbols expressing their support of LGBT rights.”
From the ACLU press release:
“The Supreme Court has held that students have a right to free speech at school, and that includes gay students. The ACLU has won dozens of cases over the years where schools have tried to get away with illegal censorship,” said Elizabeth Gill, staff attorney for the ACLU national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project. “A handful of teachers supposedly working themselves into a tizzy over one little wristband is hardly an excuse for violating Chris Quintanilla’s right to free speech.”
You can read the letter they sent to Svornic here (pdf).
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The only thing we can think to add to this discussion is that the wristband is pretty clever, since the phrase sort of fucks with the whole “gay means weak” meme so popular with the middle school set.
Ousslander
As if middle schoolers will say “oh i get it he’s turning things around and taking back t word” if he’ s allowed to wear it then if someone wears a shirt using gay as weak then don’t complain.
vince
@Ousslander: that makes the kind of sense that isn’t.
Attmay
They should take back the swastika while they’re at it. Oh wait, it’s already their symbol.
me
@Ousslander:
Reading this made my head hurt.
J
Ousslander, don’t listen to these faggots.
I think your comment was very insightful, just because you’re right doesn’t mean people can attack you. I deffinitley agree that he’s turning things around and taking back t word” if he’ and I think people are just stupid if they don’t realise that. You go girl!
Buffy
“Putting his sexuality out there”? WTF? Let’s ban wedding rings and engagement rings for teachers (and forget pregnant teachers since they’re only displaying the fact that they had unprotected sex). Also ban all those “I [heart] so-and-so”, “Jimmy and Karla forever” messages on notebooks and the like because they put peoples’ “sexuality” out there. Sorry kids, prom is canceled. No dancing for you, because flaunting your sexuality is baaaad.
rogue dandelion
I am conflicted as to whether this whole thing is a plus or a minus or a waste of time.
rainbows are gay” might go over the head of the middleschool crowd, but somebody needs to smack them upside their head regardless.
HYHYBT
I just love the title.
John
I am sick and tired of guys, minorities etc constantly crying when something like this happens. The principal is an outstanding person who is great with the kids and great for the school. What if a kid was wearing a wristband that said “God hates gays” He would done the same thing. He was probably only looking out for student and keeping him from getting his ass kicked!! The principal has a right to monitor the dress code and request any changes deemed necessary to protect the students and the school!
John
gays not guys…typo!
Krysty
I HAVE THAT WRISTBAND!!!!