04/09/2007
Federal Judge Says Gay-Straight Alliance May Continue
Saying there was no evidence that the club would not "dedicate itself to the purposes, such as tolerance, that it has outlined without involving obscene or explicit sexual material," a federal judge ordered Okeechobee High School to allow a gay-straight alliance there to continue holding meetings while a lawsuit, filed by the ACLU, is ongoing.
The school had claimed, according to the NYT, that the club was "'sex-based' and violated the school’s abstinence-only education policy."
The ACLU's lead attorney in the case, Rob Rosenwald, who is representing the gay-straight alliance's president Yasmin Gonzalez, said, "This decision sends a clear message to other schools that they face a similar fate in federal court if they choose to discriminate by deliberately misrepresenting GSAs as something they're not. Violence and harassment against gay students is a rampant problem in Florida."
The attorney for the Okeechobee County School Board said he thought the board would be satisfied, given the judge's determination of the club's purpose: "It appears that the judge will hold club members to the limitations they presented in court that they will not discuss sex or promote sexual acts in school. I think the concern that club members would discuss sexual activity in school will be alleviated by this order."
Gay-straight alliances are formed to promote tolerance, however, they are often the target of bigoted and ignorant parents and school board members who eitehr don't understand their mission, or choose not to accept it.
Judge Orders a Florida School to Allow a Gay Tolerance Club [nyt]
Federal Judge Rules Okeechobee, FL Students Can Form Gay-Straight Alliance Club [aclu]
Posted 9:15 AM EST by Andy Towle in Education, Florida, Gay-Straight Alliances, News | Permalink
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Did not SCOTUS just make a free speech ruling regarding students that might apply here.
Posted by: anon | Apr 9, 2007 12:28:48 PM
Here we have people that believe gay kids will talk about sex. They always leap to that conclusion when someone mentions the word gay. Anyway, I'm glad the GSA club won.
Posted by: Jack! | Apr 9, 2007 12:44:24 PM
Now there's a ruling that will make wingnuts throw a fit!!
Posted by: Gigs | Apr 9, 2007 1:09:47 PM
I wish this group existed when I was in high school--then again, I was in Utah and they would have burned down the school rather than allow a club like this.
Posted by: Boobs | Apr 9, 2007 3:05:46 PM
I am SO proud of Yasmin and the students that have stuck this out. Many students dropped from the club shortly after the lawsuit was filed because their parents feared that their businesses would suffer because their kid was a member.
I grew up in Okee -- Obee-Choke-me as we called it most of the time -- and have to say that I wish GSAs existed back in the early 80's!
As soon as I heard about the lawsuit, I contacted Yasmin and Robert (ACLU) and told them that, as long as I live, their website hosting and updates are on me -- now we just have to wait till the school board backs down and settles or the judge finally rules and forces the school board to recognize the club. In the meantime, we are posting news updates and they have an ERASE HATE fundraising store.
Kudos Andy for posting this and keep up the good work!
-- eric
Posted by: eric | Apr 9, 2007 10:15:27 PM