Nebraska speech champion told to change his speech

[frogmarch]

http://chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=33161


(Photo courtesy Kim Buchan, shows Michael Barth after receiving his State Championship medal for his poetry piece. With him is Rachel Johnson, who received 3rd in Persuasive.)

(Gordon)-What started out as a moment full of pride has turned into turmoil for a Gordon-Rushville student who recently won the State Championship in Poetry at the State speech competition. Michael Barth, a senior at Gordon-Rushville High School, won with his speech regarding gender stereotypes, and now the Nebraska State Activities Association has told Barth he needs to change his speech before presenting on the Nebraska Educational Television special Best of the Best, which will take place tomorrow (Thursday), citing that Nebraska is not ready for a speech on “gender acceptance.”

Full story at the link.

[MADem]

1. IN - frigging - credible.

Nebraska had better get ready, that's my opinion.

If I were him, I'd get out the thesaurus, and change "happy" to "glad." Or even GAY.

And then tell the bastards he "changed" it.

Either that, or give a speech about hateful bigots and stupidity who were too afraid to hear a speech on gender acceptance.

Throw in a little "hoist on their own petard" style comment too, while at it....

I hope he called every major network. This is bullshit.

[3catwoman3]

2. I've just been reading various threads about...

...yesterday's SCOTUS ruling, so money as speech is on my mind. No doubt this young man does not have enough money to buy his right to "free" speech.

We are really on our way back into the Dark Ages.

[TacoD]

3. They have since reversed

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140402/NEWS/140409670

[frogmarch]

5. Great!

Thanks for the update!

[Lisa D]

4. Update: Speech champion can give his speech

"Under pressure from free-speech advocates, the Nebraska School Activities Association backed down, allowing teen speech champion Michael Barth to perform his poetry presentation on gender identity."

[link:http://www.omaha.com/article/20140402/NEWS/140409670|

[frogmarch]

6. I am glad the jerks finally

backed down. I hope they learned their lesson.