California High School Students Cause Uproar Over ‘Anti-Gay’ Stickers

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Several students at Shadow Hills High School in Indio, California have caused an uproar for wearing stickers some students, parents and school administrators say are ‘anti-gay’ and akin to hate speech.

The Desert Sun’s Kristen Hwang reports: “The symbols are about two inches wide and show a rainbow pattern crossed out with a circle and a line. Students began wearing them about two weeks ago. One of the students also changed his Google Classroom profile picture to the anti-gay symbol. Photos that have been shared on Twitter and Facebook condemning the homophobic symbols have been [reposted] dozens of times.â€

 

 

For some, it’s a simple matter of free speech. Students are arguing that if other classmates are allowed to wear rainbow stickers, they, too, should be allowed to express their points of view as well. They argue, after all, they are not wearing white hoods or expressly stating a negative point of view.

However, Michelle Bachman, a senior and vice president of the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance disagrees. She counters that, “â€This group of students was publicly displaying an intolerance and hate for the LGBT community when a large portion of our students at SHHS are part of the community or close to people a part of it as well. “This is definitely hate speech, but legally, we can’t do anything until these students start to physically harass us, which I believe is an injustice.â€

One of the anti-gay stickers found its way onto the window of the Gay-Straight Alliance coordinator’s classroom. “Yes, there is freedom of speech established by Tinker, but at least in my view, it’s a hate crime because a group was targeted,†Amy Oberman, an AP History teacher, said. “I’m Jewish, and if that had been a little swastika on my window, what’s the difference?â€

In 1969, in a case called Tinker vs. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.†But according to Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) Assistant Superintendent Laura Fisher, “Every person can have an opinion, but if there’s harassment or bullying then it does cross the line.â€

UPDATE: Late Monday afternoon, Shadow Hills staff Monday morning, district Superintendent Gary Rutherford released a statement saying: “recently some information has been brought forward that requires additional investigation and follow-up to determine a proper course of action. Pending further investigation, we are going to ask students who are displaying the symbol showing a rainbow pattern with a circle and a line, at least for now, to remove symbols while at school.â€

- See more at: http://www.thegailygrind.com/2016/02/29/california-high-school-students-cause-uproar-over-anti-gay-stickers/#sthash.FMns2N6S.dpuf

 

[Reckoner]

um if that were my school i'd be constantly throwing hands

[*lesigh*]

But schools are supposed to be politically no-hate/safe zones zones, right? You're usually not allowed to express any political beliefs or make any sort of PSA unless it's against drugs or obesity, or if it's in support of racial diversity.

[Gyujin]

"Michelle Bachman - Vice president of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance"

 

   

[愛��る]

I don't care, personally. They aren't hurting anyone; let them be ignorant.

"Michelle Bachman - Vice president of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance"

 

   

Lmaooooooooo

[Misotoria]

How is this hate speech? Maybe theyre just standing up for what they believe in and they are not even harming or talking crap about lgbt

[Seulo]

But schools are supposed to be politically no-hate/safe zones zones, right? You're usually not allowed to express any political beliefs or make any sort of PSA unless it's against drugs or obesity, or if it's in support of racial diversity.

 

It wasn't like that before but it may be that way now...

[xar]

lmao wtf

[Kimberly Lipington]

um if that were my school i'd be constantly throwing hands

 

u and me both gurl

[Geeminy]

[Ash Ketchum]

How is this hate speech? Maybe theyre just standing up for what they believe in and they are not even harming or talking crap about lgbt

 

lol but that's exactly what they're doing by having it crossed out.  It truly amazes me how people go out of their way to be such hateful fucking pricks tbh.  Like, they actually went and created this symbol, printed it out, and went and put them on their belongings.  Just how pathetic can you get?

[Catarsis]

How is this hate speech? Maybe theyre just standing up for what they believe in and they are not even harming or talking crap about lgbt

Hate speech because they are using symbols and images to harass and provoke people

 

I don't understand how anyone be anti gay these days it's a waste of time...but we live in a troll culture now so young white boys love to provoke or do dumb shit for attention

[MILJYU]

every single of em square the fuck up (ง'Ì€-'Ì)ง

[Regality]

As long as they don't do anything else. Im  fine with them.

[ErikaEGO]

How is this hate speech? Maybe theyre just standing up for what they believe in and they are not even harming or talking crap about lgbt

 

They're allowed their incorrect views, but It still irks me that people still think being gay is a choice even after what they go through..

[S*NE]

   

 

But schools are supposed to be politically no-hate/safe zones zones, right? You're usually not allowed to express any political beliefs or make any sort of PSA unless it's against drugs or obesity, or if it's in support of racial diversity.

[mochichan]

I mean you can have free speech but it doesn't make you less of a dick for this....

[♥SNS-Shinomiya♥]

its free speech. If you can wear crosses, crescent moons, hijabs, flags, etc are just forms of expression even if you like them or not. The only one you can't wear is the one related to Nazis.

   Its a test to see how tolerate people are against others who don't believe or agree in the same thing they do. Its a way to stick it to people, its nothing serious. Same with why people may burn bibles or Qurans; people are tired of other people telling them what they can or can't say just because they don't agree with it esp if they have to right to speech that doesn't cause direct harm to others.