06/25/2007
NJ Superintendent Apologizes for Censoring Gay Kiss
Newark Superintendent Marion Bolden has apologized to Andre Jackson for blacking out the picture of Jackson kissing his boyfriend in 230 school yearbooks that were issued to students, according to a statement issued by the school district:
"The decision was based, in part, on misinformation that Mr. Jackson was not one of our students and our review simply focused on the suggestive nature of the photograph. Superintendent Marion A. Bolden personally apologizes to Mr. Jackson and regrets and embarrassment and unwanted attention the matter has brought to him."
The school district also said that it would offer uncensored versions of the yearbook to any East Side high School student who wants one.
Backstory...
Student's Gay Kiss Photo Struck from NJ School Yearbook [tr]
Posted 3:15 PM EST by Andy in Censorship, Education, Gay Youth, New Jersey, News | Permalink
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Just add this to another thing NJ should be embarrassed about..
Posted by: Dave | Jun 25, 2007 3:59:32 PM
That apology is pure bulls**t. "Misinformation" my aunt's hat. Bolden should be disciplined by the school board, at the very least, and after the disciplinary action has been decided she should be required to replace every single yearbook she ordered defaced with a new, unmarked one at her own expense.
Posted by: piet | Jun 25, 2007 4:01:05 PM
I hope the damned school district is forced to replace each and every one of those year books. Even better if the cost came directly out of Bolden's pocket.
Posted by: Alexander | Jun 25, 2007 4:06:43 PM
Another argument for just embracing one's stupidity. Bolden's apparent bigotry is magically recuperated by her own ineptness. A seasoned PR pro could not have spun this better. And so the district wriggles out of the grip of a certain lawsuit, not because it is in fact shrewd, not because it is in fact concerned about its students, but simply because the superintendent is stupid. Just like GWB. But for some reason not like PH?
Posted by: John | Jun 25, 2007 4:12:18 PM
Each and every copy of the yearbook that was defaced per the instructions of Ms. Bolden should be recalled and replaced with an uncensored copy - at school expense.
Andre Jackson should also have the $150 fee he paid for the photo to be published refunded to him post haste.
This is an excellent illustration of how knee-jerk homophobia is harmful. That was and still is the only reason that the photo was censored in the first place. Apologies are appreciated, I am sure, but what matters is action. Ms. Bolden should be disciplined by the school board. It might be nice for her to spend some time with a counselor to discuss her homophobia and to try to understand the roots of her intolerance. Ms. Bolden is African-American, and therefore ought to know better - even if the black community is rife with anti-gay sentiments.
Posted by: Jonathon | Jun 25, 2007 4:18:21 PM
Sorry, but I wouldn't want a yearbook with a picture of two breeders sucking face either, so I can understand the outrage over this photo.
Posted by: Wayne | Jun 25, 2007 4:18:41 PM
Yeah yeah! And the books should be made of her dried flesh that's been peeled from her bones, layer by layer in a publicly televised forum! YEAH!
"Jackson said his teachers, classmates and his parents all knew he was gay and that his sexual orientation was never a problem at school.
"I've never had to deal with this before," he said. "It's shocking. It's crazy."
Mmmmhmmmm. Yeah, and you never had to deal with the "shocking" or "crazy" incident of your family's lawn being set fire to, your car being vandalized, or your face being smashed in school because you felt so free to kiss your boyfriend in public and have it photographed...quite skillfully I might add.
I'd say there is a time to be indignant, yet there is also a time to be grateful that such an apology AND such compensation was even offered.
Oh, and pardon me for being such an old fart, but since when did public kissing in schools by heterosexual OR homosexual couples become acceptable? I mean HELL, throw down in the back seat of your hooptie all ya wanna, but COME ON.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jun 25, 2007 4:22:56 PM
I'm going to have to check my yearbooks to see if there are any photos of couples kissing.
Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Jun 25, 2007 4:48:18 PM
This is not an apology.
It is a PR excuse. She did it because she thought he wasn't a student?
1- When first confronted by the news people she never said such a thing = BULL SH@T pulled out of a PR person's butt later
2- When he purchased the page one assumes that he had to show his school ID or they would have local advertisers trying to buy up the cheaper spots. year book advertisments by buisness cost much more than $150
Do not buy the excuse, it is BS
and Fizzie we have already seen how you bend over backwards for homophobia excusing Edwards "They make me feel uncomfortable" in refference to gay people which his own campaign pollster HICKMAN admits YES he did say it, just taken out of context. The point being he said it and the out of context is PR BS yet you gladly bend over for it and other examples of homophobia.
Posted by: anon | Jun 25, 2007 4:51:50 PM
That picture is hot. Get a life FizziekruntNT - it's a beautiful thing, regardless of the gender. I advocate more kissing!
Posted by: renaldo | Jun 25, 2007 4:59:20 PM
Exactly what I was thinking, anon | Jun 25, 2007 4:51:50 PM.
Plus didn't the NYT point out that on the page immediately opposite Mr. Jackson’s, a young man and a young woman kiss on a couch, his hand on her leg as she sits on his lap. That seems certainly more provocative than the "gay" kiss.
Posted by: Lito S. | Jun 25, 2007 5:07:42 PM
She does not deserve that those students lose time by sueing her.
What they can and should do however is ask that as much students as possible ask for the original version of the year book. The more people will do that, the more it will cost the school, the less she will be tempted to express her bigotry in the future.
Posted by: eustazio | Jun 25, 2007 5:31:04 PM
Glad to live in Jersey where this kind of thing causes a ruckus. I read where the kid in the pic is going to Berkley in the fall, good on him for being brave enough to be so out, we need more people like him in the world! I hope things work out well for this dude. BTW cute as hell pic.
Posted by: Jersey | Jun 25, 2007 5:39:24 PM
Anon, you quite frankly haven't seen diddly and unless you have suddenly become the antiquated royalty of England and are hereby referring to yourself as the royal "We", then you are obviously suffering from delusions of grandeur as you make your weak attempt to speak for everyone. I have yet to see why your political opinions amount to a hill of beans to anyone OR why any commentary regarding my support for Edwards is relevant. I don't believe there was any involvement from the former Senator's presidential campaign mentioned or involved in this story. So, your point was?
I personally bought nothing and I do agree that the apology is "BS". The apology was just as insincere as any other apology in relation to ANY PR agenda. While you, Anon, waste your time being enraged, entirely missing the article's note that SPECIFICALLY stated via spokesperson, that Ms. Bolden would meet with Mr. Jackson personally to apologize, I find it more than amusing that you'd choose to use an entirely unrelated comment to bolster your reasoning for a personal attack upon me here. Not everyone is required to think JUST LIKE YOU, and if you don't care for it, then perhaps you should post your own online diary wherein you can blather on day and night about the world according to YOU...or perhaps buy your own country with your own set of rules and your own constitution where it can be all about you, you, and you. When you choose to engage me or others regarding a difference in opinion regarding political candidates, I expect you would at least have the intestinal fortitude to state your own rebuttal, listing your own personal beliefs and offer your alternative, or at least provide a forum for discussion. Instead, you have twice now provided nothing but contextual static and ineffective finger-pointing which leaves me no alternative than to render your commentary impotent.
Take your personal attacks and crawl back under the big blogtroll's rock from whence you came.
And Renaldo, I do have a life, and a rather fulfilling one, thank you. The last time I checked, photos of couples kissing in HIGH SCHOOL weren't supposed to be "hot". What are you, eighteen? If you are, I can understand your ignorance, partially. Otherwise, you miss the point entirely.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jun 25, 2007 5:48:12 PM
Kissing is beautiful,intimate and HARMLESS. Instead of censoring images of LOVE and affection of ANY sexual orientation maybe images of violence should be censored in mainstream films,video games,high schools,etc. A better idea would be to actually promote love and understanding instead of war and hatred? I know it's a difficult concept for our civic leaders to understand but one can always hope they will get a clue before they destroy the world with their stupidity.
Posted by: ShawnSF | Jun 25, 2007 5:48:27 PM
Typical black hetero female reaction. They hate us and truly believe that gayness is a "white man's disease". Of course if you mention Bayard Rustin & James Baldwin -- two famous black men who also happened to be gay -- they either have no answer (because they're ignorant of their own history) or dismiss them as minor players in civil rights. Rustin only started the NAACP & Baldwin only wrote "The 'Fire Next Time" after all...
Posted by: matt | Jun 25, 2007 6:19:46 PM
Matt's comments are ludicrous. I do know my own history and I DO NOT hate gay men. I'm appalled at what Marion Bolden has done. Try not to generalize, you just might be wrong.
Posted by: TJ | Jun 25, 2007 6:41:20 PM
Matt's comments are ludicrous. I do know my own history and I DO NOT hate gay men. I'm appalled at what Marion Bolden has done. Try not to generalize, you just might be wrong.
Posted by: TJ | Jun 25, 2007 6:41:22 PM
Perhaps Bolden should be required by the school board to drink out of a separate water fountain labeled "For Negroes Only" so that she can be reminded, on a daily basis, of how shameful of an act bigotry really is. MIND YOU I am not suggesting that any other African-America be required to do this....only her.
On the other hand, if she really is as stupid as suggested here, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference.
Posted by: D. Faver | Jun 25, 2007 6:42:24 PM
When I first read about this story, I was angry. Marion Bolton was clearly wrong in her actions. She has since retracted her stance and she has ordered new yearbooks to be made. She is making a personal apology tomorrow. So why is everyone still angry about this. The woman amde several mistakes. Her biggest mistake was that she did not do her research.
1) She claimed that she didn't realize Andre Jackson was a student in her school. That means she did not look into his school records. She has the access to them but didn't look into them to make sure he was actually a student.
2) She listened to her Assistant Superintendent but she did not look into the matter herself.
3) She did not look at the books themselves when she heard that the photo was suggestive. This is especially appalling when you read the description of the photo opposite it.
Marion Bolden's greatest crime was ignorance. Hopefully she learned a lesson. Pursuing anger in this case is a useless waste of time.
Personally, I don't want to see this turn into another "Don Imus Moment." Let her apologize and move on. Righteous indignation is only righteous when it is right. There comes a time to realize that the woman made a mistake. I know that we have all done it from time to time. Allow this to pass and be rise above it.
FizziekruntNT, the boy mentioned:
"I've never had to deal with this before," he said. "It's shocking. It's crazy."
That is a good thing. That means old fogey's like us did something right. I am glad that this is the first time this has ever happened to him. I only pray that this is the last time it happens to him. Whether it is the last time or not, he did get to learn a very important lession. He learned that bigotry touches us all and it is painful. He learned that bigotry can be found in the most unlikely of places. He learned to be strong in the face of bigotry. He also learned that adults are people too. They make mistakes and they deal with the consequences. Good things come out of terrible instances. You know this. Don't be hard on the boy, pat yourself on the back.
Posted by: PJ | Jun 25, 2007 8:20:53 PM
PJ, I just wanted to say thank you for very clearly re-iterating what I was expressing much earlier in sarcasm. Unfortunately, the message was completely lost and I’ve found that more often than not, comments are posted in Towleroad without either reading comprehension in full operation, or worse, the original article isn’t read at all. With so many battles to be fought, one typically either learns to choose wisely or simply becomes apathetic. We both agree that the superintendent acted inappropriately but the speed of correction was, I found, astounding. I think this is what was really lost on several readers, and while Mr. Jackson will indeed learn a great deal from this experience, and hopefully make positive use of such an annoyance, his delightful naivete will unfortunately be lost or shed somewhere down life’s road. As I quote myself here from my original comment, you and I both know the reality, that he is quite fortunate to have been afforded such quick justice.
“I'd say there is a time to be indignant, yet there is also a time to be grateful that such an apology AND such compensation was even offered.”
And of course, through life’s experiences, Mr. Jackson will also find , to quote (somewhat ironically in this case) Al Jolson, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jun 25, 2007 9:50:05 PM
I don't think pictures of public displays of affection are appropriate in schools and especially not in yearbooks. I went to a school were if you were caught holding hands, you were seriously punished. It made high school more focused on learning than in social politics.
Posted by: John | Jun 25, 2007 10:20:10 PM
THIS IS NOT A GAY ISSUE, MOST YEARBOOKS DO NOT HAVE "ANYONE" KISSING IN THEM....THEY'RE JUST SELF PROMOTERS....
Posted by: alan brickman | Jun 25, 2007 10:52:42 PM
THOSE BLACK WOMEN SURE DO HATE FAGS JUST LIKE OPRAH...
Posted by: alan brickman | Jun 25, 2007 10:54:39 PM
Are some posters 120-years-old and living in Saudi Arabia? Where have you been if you find the display of teenagers kissing shocking or inappropriate?! Are you shut-ins? Do you not watch TV, read magazines or books or participate in any way in the social life of contemporary America? I am absolutely FLOORED that a picture of teenagers kissing innocently - regardless of whether it's a gay or straight kiss - is objectionable to anyone. Please, obtain a high school yearbook, turn on your TV or surf to pretty much any website like myspace and I guess you will have heart attacks from the copious amount of apparently revolting images of kissing teenagers that you will discover. Really, do it for your own edification if nothing else. And please, save your unconvincing martyr act. If you want to believe the sight of teenagers kissing is revolting, fine. But face the reality that your beliefs aren't shared by the vast majority of people and don't act like you've been persecuted when peopled point out that simple and obvious fact.
Posted by: Peter | Jun 25, 2007 11:02:50 PM
Shoulda, coulda, woulda...
Shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't...
For those who say that they wouldn't have allowed the picture because no kids, heterosexual or homosexual, should be kissing in high school. I would agree with you except, the heterosexuals ARE kissing and pictures of them kissing ARE in the yearbook so your argument is a nonsequiter.
The bottom line is the policy should be consistent. If it’s no good for the homos then it’s no good for the heteros but it would be completely inappropriate to enact a policy now that they haven’t enacted up until now just to keep the gay kids from doing something that they had no problem with the straight kids doing.
Posted by: Zeke | Jun 25, 2007 11:12:52 PM
wow - people really are hard to please here.
First of all, New Jersey has produced Meryl Streep and Jon Stewart, among many other beautiful additions to this world. So get over your Jersey hatred.
Regarding this story, the idiots made a huge mistake, based on prejudice. They have since been called on it, apologized both publicly and directly to the student affected. And they have offered replacement copies of the yearbook to any student who wants one.
That's a pretty damn good resolution!
Have some charity. If we demand blood for every offense against gay people, we are going to ultimately alienate even our allies.
Posted by: Gregg | Jun 25, 2007 11:27:18 PM
Peter -
My thoughts exactly.
These Mullahs obviously went to school in a 14th Century monestary. Or (more likely) they're Reagan Revolution baby boomers trying to rewrite history. "Back in my day, nobody kissed anybody"... LOL.
Please, most of you were so loaded up on drugs from the 60s to early 80s, you don't remember what you did in High School, let alone what anyone else did.
Why do old people constantly pretend like we're shocked when 16...17...year olds are kissing? As if we've never seen it before. And if this is supposed to teach young people a "lesson", I fail to see what that "lesson" is. Are we training them to be hypocrites, just like us?
Posted by: John A. | Jun 25, 2007 11:50:56 PM
John A.,
I can't agree with your opinion that Frizzie or John are hypocrites; I take it that they are sincere. I'm just stunned to discover that anyone in our society apparently doesn't realize that teens kissing publicly in school or in pictures is unremarkable. I mean, even if you haven't been in school in decades, I would have thought that exposure to TV, movies, etc - you know, just everyday exposure to our culture - would have informed you that teens kissing in public isn't a big deal anymore. We're not talking about tongues down each other throat, that would definitely still garner stares but two people kissing each other on the lips? Wouldn't even register. But Frizzie's quote is mind-boggling:
"Oh, and pardon me for being such an old fart, but since when did public kissing in schools by heterosexual OR homosexual couples become acceptable? I mean HELL, throw down in the back seat of your hooptie all ya wanna, but COME ON."
He's entitled to object to the kissing but I would have thought he would have at least realized that its occurrence is unremarkable but he really doesn't seem to know. Just amazing.
Posted by: Peter | Jun 26, 2007 12:28:09 AM
Peter -
I think some people choose to 'not know' things they don't want to know. From a rational standpoint, I refuse to believe that folks who use the internet are that misinformed about what's happening right under their nose. Surely, on some level (conscious or otherwise), they must know that teenagers do kiss each other. I mean, it's everywhere. It's a regular occurance on network television (forget cable, just turn on FOX). Heck, there must be hundreds of thousands of pictures of dating teens on mainstream sites like Flickr. To say nothing of MySpace and YouTube. It can't get anymore "public" than that, I'm afraid.
Posted by: John A. | Jun 26, 2007 1:38:24 AM
When did race enter the convo? Just proves that anyone, regardless of their personal minority status can be bigoted. Asshats.
Posted by: Seann | Jun 26, 2007 1:45:52 AM
Im a "black woman" straight and an exclusively interracial dater but thats irrelevant.Im 17 and my mom is always sayong racism is their your blind. I go on this site everyday stand for gays when people say ignorant things and yet im homophobic thanks matt and alan brickman. Dor the record i dont wish to be lumped with anyone cause of my skin color. Obviously living in an upper middle class predominantly white neighborhood changes my views. BUt im jamaican heritage but who cares.
Posted by: sasha | Jun 26, 2007 2:09:22 AM
There are a LOT of ignorant people on this board who can't think beyond stereotypes and generalizations. Some of you need to get out more.
Posted by: Terry | Jun 26, 2007 2:32:59 AM
Public high school should be about getting an education & preparing for life, not making social statements in a yearbook. As long as ALL kissing photos were banned, this shouldn't have been an issue.
Straight or gay: you want to suck face? Get a room, not a book !
Posted by: DennyK | Jun 26, 2007 4:31:27 AM
All of you who don't think high schools should have kissing in them may be right but it is totally NOT the point. There may be also be a valid question as to raising school funds by getting kids to kick in $150 to put 'personal' pages int he yearbook. Again, NOT at issue here.
This school did have personal pictures. There were many many pictures of guy-and-girlfriends -- including a girl and guy kissing on the FACING page and they were not erased. You might not have wanted a kissing picture in the book. This kid did and he paid for it. The administrators blacked it out. This is hypocrisy and homophobia.
THIS IS DISCRIMINATION.
I also am glad at the speed of correction. The kid is still waiting for his personal apology, and good for him.
The young man is not used by activists, he knows when he is being discrimated against! He doesn't want to "suck face" or be "gay and proud" he wants to be treated EQUALLY with every other student at that school with that yearbook. EQUALLY.
Posted by: Strepsi | Jun 26, 2007 5:41:56 AM
Maybe it was just uggophobia; those are two homely people. yuck.
Posted by: ack | Jun 26, 2007 6:04:01 AM
I love her absurd claim that her actions weren't homophobic. Homophobes think they can deny the obvious even when they've been caught red-handed. Bush would deny being homophobic, I'm sure he has. It's a reliance on the idea that most people don't give a shit about homophobia anyway. But unfortunately for the bigots, that's changing rapidly. Look how far acceptance for gay marriage has come in just 5 yrs, now civil unions is the mainstream position, and gay marriage is approaching 50% support. The times they are a changing.
Posted by: Johnny | Jun 26, 2007 6:07:53 AM
Hey all. I took the time to email her directly yesterday. Here is her email address: mbolden@nps1.k12.nj.us (I found it posted on another website).
Posted by: Darrell | Jun 26, 2007 8:40:09 AM
Count me as someone completely dumbfounded by the outrage (to the kiss).
And I'm someone who almost NEVER engages in PDA myself.
But when I was growing up, there were no images of men being affectionate with each other -- at least not in a romantic sense. So when I saw two men kiss for the first time it was a beautiful sight to behold.
So maybe these kids aren't "men" and that is what makes some people here uncomfortable. I don't know.
But I find the backlash here against the students way more disturbing than some old straight lady's ignorance.
Posted by: mark m | Jun 26, 2007 11:12:44 AM
BTW, since many say that my earlier comments sound antiquated and made by an 80-year-old man, I would just like to point out that I'm 27 and graduated high school in 1998. I still firmly believe schools are for learning and not for showing off boyfirends, girlfriedns, or whateverfriends.
Posted by: John | Jun 26, 2007 12:39:38 PM
LOL,Ack ...i thought the same thing when I saw that pic too....it was better when gays were good looking as the rule.
Posted by: THAT'S RIGHT | Jun 26, 2007 5:41:03 PM