It was the brainchild of bigotry and ignorance. A group of students at a Pittsburgh area high school organized ‘Anti-Gay Day’. The group wore color-coordinated flannel shirts and wrote anti-gay on their hands in protest of same sex relationships.
The protest was held on ‘The Day Of Silence,’ a day that is meant to give students “the power to bring attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT language and bullying and the need to make our schools safe and affirming for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.” The group of students from Washington county’s McGuffey High School decided that day would be the perfect time to protest against the LGBT community.
Not only did the students rally, but they also created a “lynch list” of students who they believed to be gay. Many members of the student body stayed home from school because they were scared of the protest’s outcome.
Parents and other students were outraged by the student’s actions and contacted local news station, WPXI. One student told the local news station how he lost some friends because of the incident.
“It hurts me to see how rude and cruel, and some of these people were my friends before this started. Yesterday, there was pushing, posters hung on homosexual students’ lockers. Teachers were having to run out and take them down.”
The school district immediately began an investigation into the student’s actions. In a statement, Dr. Erica Kolat, the superintendent of McGuffey School District said:
“Yesterday afternoon, April 16, 2015, allegations of harassment were brought to the attention of our administration. McGuffey School District, along with school police officers, continue to investigate all allegations. We will follow our Student Code of Conduct, and file legal citations, as warranted. We resolve to ensure that all children can grow and learn in a safe, supportive environment free from discrimination.”
While there is an investigation ongoing, it is rumored that the students have a full week of anti-gay attire planned.
WPXI reported extensively on the story as it developed.
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