Tell School Board to Approve Gay-Straight Alliance

Students at a school in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania have proposed a gay-straight alliance club at their school.

The first board meeting on Jan. 13, little had been said to the teenagers hoping to start a Gay-Straight Alliance.

The second school board meeting just a week later presented a much more challenging situation for the three students who attended. The public comment portion of the meeting stretched for more than an hour, as people spoke for and against the club’s formation at the high school. (LGBT Youth News)

The districs core values consist of:

INTEGRITY - We seek to do everything with integrity; we treat everyone with respect.

LEARNING - We recognize teaching as well as learning needs to be of the highest priority. Learning is essential. Everyone can learn and help others to learn.

EXCELLENCE - We challenge ourselves and others to strive for excellence.

INDIVIDUALITY - We cherish the uniqueness and worth of every individual.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY - We believe that education is a shared responsibility;
cooperation and communication. (WASD)

Urge the school board to uphold the rights of its student to form a GSA and to stay true to their founding principles. Click here to send a message to all of the board members.

Anti-Gay Principal Reneges on his Decision to Resign

Back in May we discussed the Columbia, South Carolina Irmo High School's vote and rally on whether to allow the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance. In light of the fact that the school voted to allow a GSA principal Eddie Walker had announced he would resign since the club "conflicted with his values" and he felt it was inappropriate for a club to discuss things of a "sexual nature."

Now according to CountOn2News:

"Lexington-Richland District 5 spokesman Buddy Price told The State newspaper Thursday that interim superintendent Herbert Berg got a letter from Walker that said he wanted to stay."

The anti-LGBT principles contract is up for renewal in the Spring. If you aren't in favor of this homophobic principle keeping his position please join us in contacting the interim superintendent and members of the board in the district.

Berg, Herbert
Position: Superintendent
Email: HBerg@lex5.k12.sc.us
(803) 476-8116

Contact Members of the Board!

ACTION ALERT: South Carolina School District Voting on GSA Issue Tonight!

"A request from a student at Irmo High to form a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) club at the school has presented a difficult and complicated decision for the School Board. While this club is student-initiated and not school or district sponsored, if the school has permitted the formation of other non-curricular clubs, federal law requires that the school provide equal access to a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) Club. The law is very clear that if non-curricular clubs are allowed at a school, which they currently are at Irmo High, it would be discriminatory not to allow the formation of a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) club." More info on the story here.

Please contact the board and have your voice heard on the issue. Students should have the right to form a club and be free to have a safe space to discuss issues of concern to LGBT students and allies.

Contact Members of the Board!

Rally for South Carolina Gay-Straight Alliance

According to Gay Charleston:

"There will be a rally at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Dutch Fork Elementary School in Irmo, to show support for Irmo High School’s Gay Straight Alliance. The rally will be outside the district school board meeting.

Irmo Principal Eddie Walker announced last week that he would be resigning at the end of the next school year because the district is allowing the GSA to form. District officials have said their hands are tied because of equal access requirements.

Gay advocates are calling for Walker to leave now, suggesting that his continued administration at the school after such a high-profile proclamation that he can’t support the club could incite the type of dangerous environment that GSAs are looking to stop."

Dutch Fork Elementary School
7900 Broad River Rd
Irmo, SC 29063