Teachers refuse to display pro-gay posters

Defying a school district order, five teachers at a Bay Area public high school are refusing to display rainbow-flag posters, saying the message of tolerance toward gays conflicts with their religious beliefs. The posters, which read, "This is a safe place to be who you are," are part of San Leandro High School’s efforts to comply with a state order requiring schools to ensure the safety of all students. In December the San Leandro school board began requiring all teachers to hang the placards in their classrooms in an effort to curb antigay discrimination and harassment.

“This is not about religion, sex, or a belief system,” district superintendent Christine Lim told the San Francisco Chronicle. “This is about educators making sure our schools are safe for our children, regardless of their sexual orientation.”

The gay-friendly Lim was hired in 2003 as part of an effort to make the school more friendly and inclusive toward LGBT students. In 1997 a parents group at San Leandro High demanded that a gay teacher be fired after she came out to her class. Five years later an English teacher received $1 million from the district after he was disciplined for giving a lecture on homophobia and racism. At the time, the school had a policy banning “controversial issues” from being discussed in classrooms without a principal’s approval. A judge declared the rule unconstitutional.

In addition to Lim’s hiring, the pro-LGBT efforts have included requiring teachers to attend sessions addressing issues of gay and lesbian students, including dealing with homophobic comments, for the past two years. Some school officials are digging in their heels for different reasons than religious beliefs though. “I think it’s outstanding. Any hate language is not permissible,” business teacher Robert Volpa told the Chronicle. “[But] I have a problem with the district mandating anything that could be political.” (Advocate.com)

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