Gay student banned from wearing rainbow

[WillParkinson]

Gay student banned from wearing rainbow

(Peoria, Arizona) A 14-year-old Peoria student says he was ordered by a principal to turn his rainbow wristband inside-out or stop wearing it to school.

The cloth wristband has words “Rainbows are gay” on it.

Chris Quintanilla says it is the latest in several anti-gay experiences he has had at the school. After nothing was done, his mother went to the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a letter sent this week to Peoria Unified School District, the ACLU said that the principal violated Quintanilla’s constitutional rights, pointing to a 40-year-old landmark Supreme Court decision guaranteeing students’ free speech and expression.

“When I asked my son’s principal why he wouldn’t be allowed to wear his wristband to school anymore, he said some teachers found it offensive,” said Natali Quintanilla, mother of the eighth grader.

“My son is honest and happy about who he is, and I love him and support his right to be himself. There are a lot of things teachers should be more concerned about than one little wristband – like educating our children.”

http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-student-banned-from-wearing-rainbow/

[Lint Head]

1. What about the student finding the teachers offensive?

Freedom is not a one way street.
:dem:

[pnwmom]

2. I find this issue confusing, because if a straight student wore a rainbow bracelet

that said "rainbows are gay" -- it might be taken as a statement mocking gay people. That's what I thought, when I first read about this -- that it was a straight student making fun of gay people.

So it's okay if a gay student wears this bracelet, but not a straight student? And, if so, should the school be in the business of deciding who is straight and who is gay?

[tbyg52]

8. That was my first thought as well.

I stomp on "that's so gay" whenever I hear it, so reading that the wristband said that was a bit of a shock. I wonder if *that's* what the teachers objected to?

[FreeState]

12. Here is a picture - its not something an anti-gay person would wear

unless they wanted too look like they supported GLBT people and rights IMO.

[pnwmom]

13. Okay, but what if another student wanted to wear an armband that said

"Homework is gay." or "Reading is gay."

Or "Rain is gay."

Or "Raincoats are gay."

Where does the school draw the line?

[FreeState]

14. When it disrupts other students - that is where the court has drawn the legal line

in the past - in this case he upset a teacher - that is just to not a good enough reason IMO.


http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/02/13/1426

In August 2006, the Ninth Circuit appeals court denied en banc review (review by all of the judges). This time the decision was in more direct language.

“Hate speech, whether in the form of a burning cross, or in the form of a call for genocide, or in the form of a tee shirt misusing biblical text to hold gay students to scorn, need not under Supreme Court decisions be given the full protection of the First Amendment in the context of the school environment, where administrators have a duty to protect students from physical or psychological harms.”

...snip....

ADF asked the judge to reconsider his ruling throwing out the case. U.S. District Judge John Houston issued his ruling today. Not surprisingly, he hadn’t changed his mind.

He wrote that a school “interest in protecting homosexual students from harassment is a legitimate pedagogical concern that allows a school to restrict speech expressing damaging statements about sexual orientation and limiting students to expressing their views in a positive manner.”

[Warpy]

3. Fundies are pissy because teh gays stoled teh rainbows

after the fundies nicked them from the hippies.

That's all this is about.

Well, that and the fact that a lot of bigoted assholes think if those of us who are outside the straight Judeo-Christian mold insist on living, we should do so invisibly.

[Fearless]

4. K&R for that mother!!

:hug:

[VPStoltz]

5. Let's weed out offended teachers!

[bluedawg12]

6. That mother rocks! n/t

[RetiredTrotskyite]

7. Definitely a K&R for his mum! n/t

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

9. not so sure

I'm all for freedom of speech, but what if a fundie kid was wearing it as a slur, would that be ok? I'd appreciate the rainbow more without the words, especially when schools are trying to cut down on bullying and targeting kids not to say things like, "that's gay..."

[pnwmom]

10. Exactly. n/t

[mitchtv]

15. Rainbow as insult?

Sorry doesn't fly Don't try to take ourwords away after all it's frre speech. Anyone who would find that insulting has too much time on their hands

[t0dd]

11. Why...

would a kid attempting to be offensive/homophobic wear anything rainbow colored? Obviously the colors alone are symbolic, and I imagine the text isn't that noticeable.

[marshall]

16. A rainbow is also the flag for the native Peruvians

If the wristband didn't have the words on it, I'd just tell the principal I was wearing the rainbow as part of my support for the rights of the natives in Peru, or tell him a friend brought it as a sourvenir from Machu Picchu.

[mitchtv]

17. better yet, stand up for yourself

I've seen the indiginous use that flag in BsAs

[bluedawg12]

23. You mean teach the kid to lie and be ashamed?

His mother taught him better than that. It's called gay pride for a reason.

[Backpackr3]

18. This snot-nosed twerp...

...is clearly just trying to stir up a commotion.

The wristband is disruptive (in my mind), and therefore should be banned.

[Zuiderelle]

19. I can think of something that should be banned, and it's not that "snot-nosed twerp"

or his rainbow.

:eyes:

Obviously, the irony of people objecting to a gay person wearing a rainbow that says "Rainbows are gay" goes over too many idiots' heads.

Welcome to DU, what are you doing in the GLBT forum?

[bluedawg12]

20. “This snot-nosed twerp... is clearly just trying to stir up a commotion.”

:rofl:

[Starry Messenger]

21. Dad?

Is that you?

[bluedawg12]

22. James dogbeaterdobson!

Is in da house. :rofl:

[LostinVA]

24. Don't you have a funeral to protest, Mr.Phelps?

[Two Americas]

25. ROFL

Back in the day they just pummeled "snot-nosed twerps who were clearly just trying to stir up a commotion." You sound as though you would OK with that.

Welcome to Authoritarian Underground. Sadly, you may fit right in here these days.

Of course if the wristband were elastic, and were used as a slingshot in the classroom, then yes it could be seen as disruptive. But somehow I get the feeling that you would be much less upset about that then you are about whatever it is you are upset about now. What are you upset about? You know, "in your mind." Is that how we decide what should or should not be banned? By what is happening "in your mind?" What IS happening "in your mind?" It sounds painful, and I wish you the best with that.


...

[Jamastiene]

26. Excuse you?

A rainbow is part of nature.

[Zuiderelle]

27. Goodbye, troll.

:hi:

(and thanks, mods)

[sui generis]

28. I wonder if a "straight" student could wear that wristband

petty little nazis.

Whenever I hear "some say" I think of the Reno 911 fake PSA for keeping children out of jail.

"If you are sent to jail you could be forced into uncomfortable man on man situations and even made to Toss The Salad".

Some Say tossing salad is sort of like rape, some say betta, some say worse.

*****

Some teachers found "it" offensive????? Name them. Seriously.

[Chovexani]

29. Phoenix is a shithole.

Sorry for sounding like a broken record but it is.

This is the land of Joe Arpaio folks, no one should be shocked. In 2 1/2 years I saw more ignorance on every level in the Valley than I ever thought possible.

Between the fundies and the Mormons I don't know who's worse.