Well, apparently a lot for school officials in Nassau County, Florida. I recently read this AP article about two Northern Florida students taking their local high school and school board to court for not allowing them to create a Gay-Straight Alliance.
The school’s issue with the group, as noted by the board’s attorney in the article, is the group’s name, which goes against current policy that does not approve of organizations dealing with sexual orientation. The school board supports tolerance and stopping bullying, but believes the proposed group would be disruptive.
As the product of the Florida school system from a smaller town in the center of the state, I thought back to my years in high school – the taunting, the name-calling, the stereotypes and ignorance that does wonders for any teenager growing into adulthood and coming to terms with their unique differences in this world. Much like Yulee High School, my school had a Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spirit Club and countless others, except an organization that would’ve fostered a conversation and dialogue between me, my friends who later came out and those in our school who would support us – just like they did when we finally had the courage to talk about who we truly are later.
In many of my former posts on the blog, I’ve commented on corporations’ or groups’ actions speaking volumes, in addition to their marketing and advertising initiatives. The situation holds true here – Nassau County School Board’s actions of prohibiting a group with the focus of encouraging dialogue, questions and understanding among a group of students for the primary reason of a “disruptive” name are sending a clear message to its students who are struggling with their homosexual feelings internally or others’ reaction if they’ve had the courage to express their sexuality externally.
School groups provide a source of community, fostering an important dialogue and continuing the education of all involved – be it FCA, FFA or a Gay-Straight Alliance. Its name only defines the commonality of those who choose to participate. What is more disruptive is ignoring the needs of a student population in search of a safe haven for inquiry, discussion and ultimately, enlightenment.
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