Massachusetts middle school students tear down rainbow decorations and chant their pronouns are 'U.S.A.' during Pride celebration: Officials slam 'intolerance and homophobia'
-Students at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts, were asked to wear rainbow-colored shirts to school to celebrate Pride on June 2
-However, a student-led protest broke out, where they destroyed Pride decorations, threw stickers on the ground and chanted 'my pronouns are USA'
-Officials are now calling for the school district to reinstate the DEI board because of the display of 'intolerance and homophobia'
Massachusetts middle schoolers tore down Pride decorations and chanted that their pronouns were 'USA' in a striking protest after they were asked to wear rainbow colors to school.
Students at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts, were asked to wear rainbow-colored shirts to celebrate Pride Month on June 2, but a preplanned protest broke out with students tearing up Pride flag stickers and chanting: 'USA are my pronouns.'
Decked out in red, white and blue, the students destroyed the decorations lining the hallway the student organization Spectrum Group distributed, including a quote from American playwright Tennessee Williams, signage saying the school was a 'safe space' and 'equality for everyone' decorations.
'I was shocked and horrified,' Nila Almstrom, a parent of an LGBT student, said at a town hall meeting about the protest.
Parents have told local news outlets their straight-identifying students said they felt forced to participate and were 'offended' by the Tennessee Williams quote that reiterated that the human heart is 'curved like a road through the mountains' and only lines and streets can be straight.
Decked out in red. white, and blue, the students destroyed the decorations lining the hallway that the student group Spectrum Group distributed, including a quote from American playwright Tennessee Williams, signage saying the school was a 'safe space,' and 'equality for everyone' decorations, and crumbled up stickers
'My daughter just said, "You know, mom, that's offensive to me, I am straight,"' Christine Steiner told WCVB. 'Some of the kids threw the stickers on the ground. But I can only speak for my daughter, she just didn't want to wear that to school. It's not that she wanted to hurt anybody's feelings.'
However, Burlington Public Schools said in a letter to parents that the district is 'obligated to provide a safe environment for all students to feel safe, seen and respected without retaliation.'
'I recognize that discussions and celebrations of individual identity are complex and impacted by individual values, religions, and cultural norms, the result of which may include expressions of racism, anti-religious hate, ableism, and in this case homophobia,' Superintendent Eric Conti wrote.
'The Burlington Public Schools believe in the individual dignity and humanity of each and every person in our community. We embrace everyone for who they are and for what they bring to our schools and larger community,' he continued. 'Let us all work on being kinder to each other.'
The altercation sparked allies and parents to call for more diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the school, claiming that 'this type of intolerant rhetoric starts in the home.'
'These displays of intolerance and homophobia are unacceptable and impact the whole community,' Burlington Equity Coalition Co-Chair, Nancy Bonassera, said during the meeting on Monday night. 'We challenge Burlington town leadership to take an active stand against hate under the guise of "free expression."'
Principal Cari Perchase apologized in a letter, stating that she wanted to 'publicly state that I stand in solidarity and support of the members of the LGBTQ community who were impacted by these events.'
Days after the disastrous Pride celebration, anti-Semitic and racist graffiti was found inside the schools bathroom. However, Perchase told parents she does not believe it was related to the Pride outburst, the Boston Globe reported.
Parents are now calling for the DEI board to be reinstated. It dissolved in 2022 after its one-year scheduled tenure was up.
Former member, Carl Foss, said the 'need [for the board] is pretty clear' after the town hall meeting.
Select Board member Michael Espejo called for the district to fill its DEI administration role, but ensured parents of the district that the 'administration takes this matter seriously.'
'I assure you we will be having conversations over the coming weeks regarding this issue and we will report back by the end of the summer,' he said.
The school did, however, meeting with students after the Pride incident to 'educate them about how their behaviors affect others, to take responsibility for their behaviors, and to help us become a more inclusive community where all of us feel that we belong,' Burlington School Committee Chairwoman Martha Simon said, according to the Boston Globe.
School officials are planned to meet tonight to discuss the issue, according to NBC Boston.
Pride month this year has garnered plenty of backlash, from people boycotting Target over 'tuck-friendly' swimwear, to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passing the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.
Plenty of parents across the nation are arguing that children are too young to know about sexuality and gender-affirming care and that schools and healthcare officials are pressuring youngsters to start hormone blockers and start transitioning early.
Hopefully this is the start of the pendulum starting to swing away from this pride bullshit being forced down everybody's throats.
