Bruin Fisher Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Oh wow. What an amazing story! Is Colorado a very conservative state? What a terrible thing for the head to do to the boy. Why on earth shouldn't he out himself in his address if he wants to? I'm glad he got to make his address, but there's more I want to know: did his schoolfriends attend and see him give it? What sort of event was it? Did I correctly understand that politicians were there? Link to comment
Rutabaga Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Other coverage: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/3/colorado-school-probing-barring-gay-valedictorian-/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/03/colorado-valedictorian-comes-out-_n_7502478.html And in the latest news: The school is hiring an outside law firm to investigate the matter, in the face of justified concerns that its initially proposed internal investigation would be a whitewash. The external investigation might be, also, but there is a chance that it will actually approach the matter honestly and candidly. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/school-asks-review-ban-gay-student-speech-31528260 R Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 That is one seriously cute kid. C Link to comment
Rutabaga Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 This article displays the letter from a U.S. congressman to the school, and the defensive press release that the school issued immediately after the incident. http://www.westword.com/news/banning-of-evan-youngs-coming-out-speech-spurs-investigation-at-school-6771641 R Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 There appears to be information in Rutabaga's link that hasn't been mentioned before. Young stated that he amended his draft in all areas except the one mentioning he was gay. However, he didn't say he'd refused to allow the principal to review the changed speech in advance. If that is indeed the case, it sounds like the school does have some wiggle room. Although, we don't know how that conversation went. Was Young asked to make changes and submit the speech again for review, or just asked to make changes, which he did? C Link to comment
Rutabaga Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 It's also no surprise to learn that the school's legal counselor, a solo practitioner named Barry Arrington, is a right-wing Christian fundamentalist whose online bio lists him, among other things, as "past president of the Rocky Mountain Family Council and the Colorado Coalition for Children and Families." I'm surprised he didn't find a way to get the school to yank Evan Young's diploma. Every letter Arrington writes digs the hole deeper. R Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 I see why Young wasn't out. Link to comment
Bruin Fisher Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 So the school pulled his speech to prevent him from using it to 'push his agenda'? I'm sick and tired of homophobes bleating about our 'agenda'. All he did was say he's gay. How is that an agenda? This will be a PR disaster for the school, methinks, and rightly so. The kid comes across as mild-mannered, and he's repeatedly stated that he didn't want a media circus and didn't want to harm the school. The condition he stipulated before allowing the press to have his story was that it must be to improve the school long-term. His motives appear to be laudable. The school's, on the other hand... Link to comment
Rutabaga Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 This just gets better and better. http://www.coloradoindependent.com/153706/polis-fire-lawyer-for-maoist-style-thought-reform-camp-jab R Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Sounds like it's getting to be a case of 'my dick's bigger than yours, so there!' Link to comment
Merkin Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 I admire Evan Young for his maturity, his demeanor, his understanding, and his sense of humor. He is clearly more of an adult than his high school principal. Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 He doesn't have an agenda like the principal does. C Link to comment
Rutabaga Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 It's interesting that Evan Young is headed for Rutgers in the fall -- the locale of the suicide by gay freshman Tyler Clementi back in September, 2010. I have the impression that gay students at Rutgers are in much better circumstances now than they were back in 2010. R Link to comment
dude Posted June 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 It's interesting that Evan Young is headed for Rutgers in the fall -- the locale of the suicide by gay freshman Tyler Clementi back in September, 2010. I have the impression that gay students at Rutgers are in much better circumstances now than they were back in 2010. R That fact wasn't lost on me, either R. I doubt that Evan will suffer the same fate as young Tyler did. At least he has the love and support of parents and friends as he heads off to college. Link to comment
colinian Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 It's interesting that Evan Young is headed for Rutgers in the fall -- the locale of the suicide by gay freshman Tyler Clementi back in September, 2010. I have the impression that gay students at Rutgers are in much better circumstances now than they were back in 2010. R That fact wasn't lost on me, either R. I doubt that Evan will suffer the same fate as young Tyler did. At least he has the love and support of parents and friends as he heads off to college. A friend of mine from high school went to Rutgers. Phil is gay and was out from the start of his freshman year at Rutgers. He was there from fall of 2007 thru spring 2011 when he got his degree. He never had a problem with the school or, in his case, other students. Unfortunately the situation with Tyler Clementi was created by other students. Colin Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 The other factor that's at least very apparent with Evan is, he's overflowing with self-confidence. I have to think Tyler wasn't. I'd guess self-confident kids are much less likely to take that final, sorrowful step. C Link to comment
JamesSavik Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 So the school pulled his speech to prevent him from using it to 'push his agenda'? I'm sick and tired of homophobes bleating about our 'agenda'. All he did was say he's gay. How is that an agenda? Like they never push their agenda... and wonder why people get tired of hearing their bullshit over and over again. Link to comment
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