The school superintendent for Boyd County, Ky., said he will rule Tuesday on an appeal challenging a decision that allows a gay-straight alliance to meet at Boyd County High School in Cannonsburg, Ky., according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Superintendent Bill Capehart said the GSA that has been meeting at the high school is not recruiting students or discussing sexual practices at meetings, and he wants to see such myths dispelled.
Critics say the group is inappropriate for a school and will foster homosexuality among students. But Capehart said he will recommend that supporters and opponents of the group meet face-to-face to discuss their differences. Kaye King, a teacher and the alliance's adviser, said she is willing to meet with opponents, adding, however, that "there is no room for compromise" concerning the group's existence.
A week after the Boyd County school board voted to let the GSA meet on campus, 40% of the school's 974 students boycotted classes. The following weekend, a community rally drew what organizers said was 2,300 people to protest the GSA.
Capehart acknowledged that the controversy has been a distraction, but he said the alliance is good for the school and the community, adding that the alliance will ultimately teach students to be tolerant of people who are different, will lead to a reduction in derogatory slurs, and will make the school more comfortable for gay students.
Capehart said that the ministers who oppose the group haven't provided him with a copy of their proposed civility program. But he said he won't support teachings that homosexuality is wrong or issues based on a particular religious viewpoint.
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