Last month I posted about Wheatland High School in Wyoming where a debate was underway regarding the removal of a banner sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League promoting a "No Place for Hate" campaign at the school. The school board voted 4-3 to deny a request to put the banners back up.
The main gist of the objections seems to be mention of the 'Gay & Lesbian Fund' at the bottom of the banner.
The community has been ignited:
"On lockers at WHS and a gymnasium door are 'No Place for Hate' fliers that students printed and posted.Supporters of the banners have taken to social networking sites, starting two groups on Facebook. There's talk of a demonstration. A letter-writing campaign is under way.An online petition was started through Wheaterville.com, the town's alternative newspaper, and had 628 electronic signatures as of Friday. The petitioners have a lofty goal: 10,000 signatures, which is about three times the town's population.Superintendent Stuart Nelson said there will be a public comment period at the next school board meeting. The next board meeting is scheduled for March 15, according to the district's Web site."
The ADL's Bruce DeBoskey told 9News: There's no agenda other than to promote respect for our differences. It's ironic and it's tragic that a program designed to teach respect, to teach inclusiveness, to promote diversity, is being derailed by people with a bigoted agenda."
"Jessica Zipperlen, 28, had some not-so-kind words for the board's decision. Some of her best friends are gay and lesbian, the Wheatland resident said, and she grew up with them.Zipperlen said the 'No Place for Hate' program was working. She said students were taking people they did not know to lunch. 'They were actually doing what was on the banner,' she said."
Watch 9News' report and interviews with students, AFTER THE JUMP…
