Middle schoolers in the town of Burlington, Massachusetts, outraged many in their town by revolting against the school’s “Spirit Day” Pride month celebration on June 1, tearing down decorations and chanting “USA are my pronouns.”
The school’s principal responded with fury, saying, “When one individual or group of individuals’ beliefs and actions result in the demeaning of another individual or group, it is completely unacceptable.” Similarly, Boston.com reported, “The Burlington community is calling on town leaders to take action in the wake of a recent middle school incident during which students disrupted a Pride event.”
Boston.com also reported that what happened was Spectrum Club, a student group composed of “LGBTQ+ students and allies” at Marshall Simonds Middle School, hosted a June 2 pride event. The school was decorated with both rainbow flags and signs saying things like “Happy Pride Month” and “Why it’s not ok to say ‘That’s so gay.’” The club also handed out things like rainbow stickers.
Middle schoolers being unruly middle schoolers, they acted in what the school characterized as an “inappropriate” manner with the stickers and tore down some of the decorations. Then some students chanted “USA are my pronouns.”
Predictably, the principal was furious, saying in a letter, “I fully respect that our diverse community has diverse opinions and beliefs. I also respect individuals’ right to express their opinions through clothing choices and freedom of speech. When one individual or group of individuals’ beliefs and actions result in the demeaning of another individual or group, it is completely unacceptable.”
Continuing, she added, “I am truly sorry that a day meant for you to celebrate your identity turned into a day of intolerance. Schools are supposed to be a safe place for ALL students and faculty. Some community members’ actions created an unsafe environment for many of our students, caregivers, and faculty.”
Similarly, a local librarian and teacher was furious about the anti-LGBTQ protest, sending a letter to the local school board saying, “Seemingly small acts like the one that occurred at Marshall Simonds yesterday are influential acts.”
Continuing, she added, “…How many children felt power yesterday by committing an act of intimidation? How many children had a seed of homophobia planted in them yesterday? How many children now feel worse about themselves because of what they witnessed or experienced yesterday? How many children now think that being part of or supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community is unAmerican?”
The local school board responded to the outrage from the left by promising to fill a DEI position at the school that had been left unfilled for more than a year.
Left unsaid by anyone involved was why middle school children need to be learning about sexuality or how kids so young could possibly know their sexual preferences and feel so strongly about it to be in a club and hand out LGBTQ-themed stickers to other students.
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