All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Your support makes The Advocate's original LGBTQ+ reporting possible. Become a member today to help us continue this work.
The symphonic jazz choir at Wasilla High School, the alma mater of Sarah Palin, will sing an edited version of the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody" at graduation, a decision sparked by complaints that the band's front man Freddie Mercury was gay.
The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reports on the controversy at the school, reportedly started when principal Dwight Probasco heard a complaint from a parent. Following a student outcry, including the possibility of ACLU involvement, Probasco relented, although the choir now must sing an edited version of the song that deletes lyrics about killing a man.
Casey Hight, a junior and choir member who contacted an Anchorage gay and lesbian support organization, which recommended her to the ACLU, said she believes Probasco decided to allow the edited version of the song because he wanted to avoid a complaint from the civil rights organization.
"I felt like the school was discriminating for sexual orientation and I felt it was wrong," said Hight to the Frontiersman. "It's so stupid because there's nothing sexual in the song. There aren't even any cuss words."
Recommended Stories for You
