Dawn Henderson, a student at De Soto Middle School in Louisiana, was issued an ultimatum when she wore this shirt to school. She was sent to the principal’s office and her grandfather was called to bring her different clothes. She could either change or go home.
What kind of a message is that sending to other students?
Personally, I think the principal and any other teacher or administrator who was involved in this story should be ashamed for trying to take away a student’s right to freedom of speech. Dawn Henderson should be commended for wearing that shirt and showing support for her peers, regardless of their sexual orientation. Statistics say 9 out of 10 gay students are bullied at school–shouldn’t we be punishing the bullies instead of Dawn?
I’m only 21 years old. I remember what it was like in middle school and high school. If you wore a shirt with a “bad word” or a picture of a beer bottle on it, they made you turn the shirt inside-out. But is this really the same situation?
In recent years, public schools have been going through campaigns to end bullying, both in and out of classroom. Many schools across the country renewed their anti-bullying efforts in the last year, following a number of teen suicides–particularly the suicides of gay youngsters.
The shirt, produced by FCKH8.com, is one of a number of designs being sold to raise money for queer youth counseling services and suicide prevention.
The school principal claimed that the shirt was “distracting,” but none of the other students seemed to notice or have a problem with it. And even if other students did have a problem with it, since when do we allow other students to decide what their classmates are or are not allowed to wear? Unless bad grammar is a capital offense, I don’t see any reason why this shirt should not be allowed in schools.
Just because someone is in the majority does not mean that they are in the right.
Want to buy your own shirt like Dawn’s? Or a wristband? Or a hoodie? Click here to check out all of the great products for sale from FCKH8!
Want to know more about Dawn’s story? You can read the whole article here, or you can watch the television news coverage here.
Comment and let me know what you think or vote in the poll below. Like this post? Be sure to click “like” or share with your friends on facebook and twitter!
You're gay?! 