Last year in a small NE Georgia Mountains community, the students, faculty and parents of White County High School were embroiled in a battle over homosexuality. A group of students at the club were interested in forming a Gay-Straight Alliance Club at the school.
As one might expect, there was a considerable amount of vocal opposition from local community groups, who were opposed to the “gay lifestyle.” Many parents objected on religious grounds. Apparently, these parents forgot that they choose to send their children to a government run, not a religious based school, as they opted for the big SUV or the big house and had no money left to provide for their child’s education and now seek to impose their personal viewpoints in a public school setting.
The outcry even drew the attention of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Hatemongers Church. Phelps and company, who have gained a reputation for protesting at the funerals of US soldiers, drew national attention to White County, Georgia.
Eventually, students like Kerry Pacer, were allowed to form a club, only to be told by the school that such a club, PRIDE (Peers Rising in Diverse Education), could not meet on school grounds. Today, Kerry Pacer takes that fight to the federal courts in Atlanta, charging that White County High School violated the Federal Equal Access Act, which requires high schools to provide access for such non-curriculum based clubs.
Pacer, a recent graduate of WCHS is suing on behalf of the organization she helped to create in order to force school officials to provide equal access to the school facility. Pacer has a strong case and school officials in White County should carefully read the writing on the wall, stop wasting tax-payers money defending the indefensible and open the school to PRIDE or any other student organization.
Naturally some parents may object to the practice…the message to them is “deal with it.” These are the sacrifices one must make, when enrolling in a PUBLIC school. If these parents are so concerned about their child’s learning environment make the sacrifice and place your child in a private school of your choice.
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=104537
