This is just a little rant that I've been wanting to get out for a while.
 

So at my school, we have this winter dance, Snow Days. Seniors get to nominate people for royalty. Well, this year, two girls who were nominated wanted to walk to the stage together. Now, these two girls are dating, and have been for quite a while. They talked it over with the guys who were supposed to walk with them, and both were just fine with walking across the gym floor with another guy.

Well, the people running it, student council, had some objections. While some were okay with it and quite frankly didn't care, others were making a point that tradition should be kept, and that the girls couldn't walk to the stage together. Tradition should not be used as an excuse to keep people from choosing who to walk with.

Like a lot of schools, there is an anit-discrimination rule. At the beginning of the year a bunch of flyers and handbooks were given to all the students at my high school. With all these papers came a little card that emphasized equality and respect regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, and ual orientation. Teachers were even given stickers that say "ally" on them to wear on their badges.

Just tonight, my principal made calls to each household to "clarify some rumors." He said, "the nominees were nominated as individuals, and therefore should walk across the gym as individuals." Basically, his way of saying our school will not tolerate displays of homouality.

Now, I don't know how many of you support gay rights, but there is one thing that should be noted. If you're going to preach about something, don't change your mind when an issue regarding said topic comes up. The school does not support discrimination amongst different races, ethnicities, and gender, and they would steadfastedly stand behind those beliefs. But when it comes to homouality, it becomes a taboo.

I quite frankly don't know what's worse - the fact that this "individual" thing was proposed by the principal himself, or the fact that the student council didn't even try to keep them together. Either way, the action is completely unacceptable. As an administrator, your job is to make sure students are comfortable within the community and ensure they have a safe environment. Is such a decision supposed to make them feel safe?

By taking away their ability to walk with whomever they please, you are condemning them to an unsafe environment. It's no "rumor" of who these girls are. By saying that they will walk by themselves, you are telling the rest of the community that homouality is not okay. As a school, you are supposed to take a neutral stance. Well, you have failed. By restricting them with an excuse as weak as "individuals," you are allowing yourself to take a stance. One that is incredibly unpopular with a significant portion of your own students, some who are not heteroual.

I, myself, am disgusted with the stance my school's administration has taken on this issue. If they were truly "neutral," they would have allowed the students to decide. The executive decision only creates their downfall. I am glad I will never have to return to such an institution that would alienate a certain group of people and tell them that their beliefs are not okay, but I, at the same time, feel sorry for those who have been alienated by this thoughtless action.

Tomorrow, there is to be a sit-in at the administration office before the bell for first period. I plan on participating in this sit-in, as I feel that those two girls have the right to walk together. I do hope the number of passionate students will be able to change their minds, because what they are doing is not okay, and it is only creating an unsafe environment for those who are biual or homoual.

Kudos to you if you got to the end of this. It's a really random rant. ><