It was a packed house at the school board meeting in Franklin County, Tennessee on Monday night.
Hundreds of people crowded in to the high school gymnasium following weeks of controversy over a newly formed Gay Straight Alliance. One parent told the school board the GSA will expose kids to “rimming, fisting, oral sex and anal sex,” while other opponents of the club waved flags bearing Christian crosses (right). However, anti-LGBT bigots appeared to be outnumbered by supporters of the GSA, who staged a rally before the meeting (below) and held up rainbow-colored signs and placards in the audience (above).
In the end, the school board didn't take any action regarding the GSA — a wise move, since officials are required to allow it under the Federal Equal Access Act, unless they choose to get rid of all non-curricular clubs.
“We're pleased there is no board-level attack on the GSA,” Tennessee Equality Project Executive Director Chris Sanders told WKRN-TV. “It's obvious some parents are opposed.”
One parent, identified by CBS News as Robert Widelick, told the board the GSA is a “recruitment strategy” by gay activists that “carefully avoids addressing the health isssues involved” with homosexuality, according to video from the meeting.
“The mainstream media won't report it, but the Internet is packed with truths about the radical gay political agenda and lifestyles. In order to get what they want, they're targeting kids,” Widelick said. “If you've ever heard of Kevin Jennings, he's the founder of the GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network). In 2006, they had a conference up in Massachusetts where they bused in middle school and high school kids that were members of the GSA, and they were subjected to stuff like fisting, rimming, oral sex, anal sex. The GLSEN does not belong in our schools.”
But Widelick's anti-gay rant was countered brilliantly by a straight ninth-grader and GSA member who spoke next.
“For those of you saying this is a gay club, it's not. I'm heterosexual. It's called the Gay Straight Alliance. Go figure,” the freshman GSA member said, adding that the club isn't sexually based and has almost 50 student and faculty supporters. “We have it to end the demeaning of the LGBT community. My point is, this community needs this group, and not just the school. You can't tear the club down unless you get rid of all non-curricular clubs. You can tear our signs down, and you can tear the tears out of our eyes … but so far we have the legal right to keep meeting.”
Although the school board didn't take action against the GSA, members did discuss proposed new rules affecting all student clubs, some of which appeared to be a direct response to the controversy.
For example, the rules would prohibit students clubs from “soliciting” new members, and board members expressed a desire to require the GSA and other organizations to keep minutes of their meetings, including the names of those who attended. The board did not vote on the proposed rules but will discuss it again next month.
Watch video from the meeting, and check out more photos from a Facebook page for supporters of the GSA, below.
