Come If You Can

A good friend of mine has made a doc, profiling his own experiences as a physically challenged person.

The screening is this Friday, November 21, at the Emerald Coast Conference Center.

Directions and map here.

Anyone mentioning this post gets a drink on me at the bar of my choice.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

A student at Ponce De Leon High School is suing the Holmes County School Board for violation of free speech. And catch this:

A heterosexual high school junior sued the Holmes County School Board on Thursday, claiming she was prevented from peacefully supporting gay rights.

Heather Gillman filed a complaint, of which you can read here, after her lesbian cousin complained last September to Principal David Davis about being harassed by other students:

“He explained that Jane Doe should not be gay and she should not tell people she is gay,” Stevenson wrote of Davis. “Defendant Davis also told Jane Doe the ‘gay pride’ was a disgrace to the school.”

...“The School Board has no polices against pro-gay clothing and symbols or anti-gay clothing and symbols,” Young wrote. “What the Board seeks to enforce is a policy whereby nothing is permitted to be worn on a student’s body that may reasonably disrupt and interfere with the educational process of that student or other students.”

After several students were suspended between Sept. 21 and 24 for “expressing their support for the fair treatment of gays and lesbians,” according to the complaint, Gillman wore a rainbow belt and shirt stating “I support gays” to school for three days.

I find it appalling that a government employee, paid by tax dollars of all people, would have the gall to impose personal, and definitley religious, beliefs on the impressionable minds that he was entrusted with.

Mr. Davis, you obviously have no idea the challeneges, trials and tribulations of gay youth. Many kids find solace in the halls of schools all across America from the shame, secrecy, and isolation of hiding homosexuality from parents and relatives. Or even worse, the psychological and physical abuse of parents who do know.

You have no place in the public education arena.

One can only be thankful there are students like Heather who are bridging the gap. Sometimes, they are the only reason why one gay teenager doesn't turn into a statistic.

via NWF Daily News