Principal Reconsiders Permission Slips for Gay Couples
Sunday, December 05, 2004
WEST JORDAN, Utah — A principal who wants gay couples to get permission slips from their parents before they can attend school dances promised to re-evaluate the policy after protesters held four days of protests.
Copper Hills High School Principal Tom Worlton issued the policy last month but agreed to revisit it Friday. He said he saw the policy as a way to alert the parents to the dangers their children might face.
Jason Atwood, 17, his boyfriend, Tom Tolman, 15, who attends another school, and small circle of friends held protests across the street from the suburban Salt Lake City school before they met with Worlton. The protesters said they were subjected to insults, obscene gestures, egg throwing and snowballs from passing cars during the four days.
"I'm so proud of you," Tolman's mother, Patricia Gilley, said after dropping him off. "You can't help who you love."
Atwood's father, Quovaudis Atwood, said he feared Worlton's policy would absolve the school of responsibility if anything were to happen to his son.
"I'm not at the dance with Jason. ... How could I be responsible for my son?" he said. "As long as I'm paying taxes to support that school, my son deserves every bit of protection, education, whatever that school has to offer."
Worlton said the policy stemmed from students' concerns about potential harassment. "That was not an attempt to get out of liability and not a response to deprive them from coming to the dance," he said.
Worlton said he will make a decision on the policy in time for the prom.
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I wonder if Bert and Ernie had to put up with this kind of shit on Sesame Street?
*deep breath*
ReplyDeleteWhere do I begin with this one? First off, this is the first I've heard of this story. However, this is not the first time I have heard about gay kids and the whole school dance/prom scenario.
On the one hand, I agree with the parents that the whole permission slip thing sounds like a real good scapegoat for the school to pull outta their ass (no pun intended) should violence break out, etc., which, of course, I think is total bullshit. I totally agree with the father who said that he 'pays taxes, so why shouldn't his kid get the same consideration as the other kids would' (which, personally, I doubt is all that hot to begin with). Remember folks, this whole "I pay taxes" rhetoric works in EVERYONE'S favor, not just the straight kids.
Then on the OTHER hand... WTF is the deal with kids who feel compelled to be "true to themselves" at all costs? I mean, I'm not saying they have to deny/lie about who they are, and if they have gay pride, well that's just precious. However, why draw attention to yourself and encourage more bullshit namecalling than you normally would had you gone to the movies or out to dinner? Trust me, not every dance has a fuckin' Footloose ending. Lest we forget Matthew Shepard and the shitheel hillbillies who brutally murdered him.
Besides, high school is just 4 years, surely you and Lance can endure extracurricular school functions until graduation. Trust me, gay or straight, they're not that big a deal.
And for those who think they're "paving the way" for some future homos, trust me, you're not. Two gay MEN will never be accepted, esp. in high school, so don't kid yourself. It's cynical, but true. Esp. in smaller towns. Remember, not everyone lives in California or New York. I knowit's cynical, but then I've always been realistic when it comes to the whole concept of the gay "lifestyle" being accepted.
So, my stance: There's a time and place for everything. High school is not necessarily the best place to "take a stand." Your personal safety should be your #1 goal, not whether or not something's "fair." However, should you feel compelled to show your pride, don't be surprised if someone stomps on it.