There was an amazing speech at my highschool's graduation Saturday

We had two valedictorians at my school this year and they both gave speeches. One was the usual bland stuff that one would expect but the other was an amazing peon to diversity including diversity of sexuality.

Some backround. This valedictorian is almost certainly gay and I think even a bit open about it. (I have only taught here a year and never had him in a class but one can tell). It was a well thought out, carefully written, well presented speech. The most astonishing part is that it was given on the edge of Jesse Helms country and to my knowledge there were no complaints. Who would have thunk it?

I hope we hear from this guy in the future. He is going to Tulane and intends to write.

If locals know this boy & if he is valedictorian he is likely popular and respected - he is one of them and gets a pass of sorts. He gets treated like a person. The prejudice is for the stereotyped masses of group 'X'.

He is a son of one of the more popular teachers and is himself very popular. He is one of those multi talented people who is nice enough you don't want to push him off a cliff.

But when someone isn't very nice and talented it is much harder to like them.

am I! I should know you by now - but I don't pay attention to names. Sorry.

I can't figure out how to get that red sarcasm thing to show up or I would use it.

from one of the parents of the DANCERS about the dances at our graduation "promoting homosexuality and violence." The person actually wrote a letter and sent it to the school.

The dance we think they were complaining about was an all male dance... entitled "Fathers and Sons." Some of it was pretty "gay-looking" (gayest "football pile-up" I've ever seen!), but that's only because most of the guys in it are openly gay. The actual message of the dance did not have anything to do with being gay. There was a "violent" scene where it was a slow-motion depiction of one kid being beat up, but it wasn't promoting violence in any way, and most of the parents who heard about this had trouble remembering what in any of the dances could even have been considered violent.

The other thing the letter complained about was a song lyric, I don't remember what exactly it was, but it was something about "thoughts in our heads." Nothing obscene, "gay," violent, or sexual, just about thinking. I guess it goes to show how those fundies really hate it when you promote thinking... especially in a school!

but gay students at a school for the arts?

who would have thunk it

some people are just uncomfortable with males touching each other unless there is violence involved

and yes, I'm a big sports fan and I think violence is part of sports

We think there are probably as many gay people there as at typical high schools, but there were only 300 people there as opposed to 1,500.