Thursday, April 08, 2010

I Heart Cole Goforth


These days you can buy T-shirts that say anything; they endorse political candidates; they tell you which beer tastes great. You have concert T's and Broadway show T's, and sports T's. It seems anything goes on the T-shirt front, or, on the front of a T-shirt.

Unless you live in Tennessee and it's a three letter word: gay.

Cole Goforth is gay; and he doesn't care who knows it. He's out, he's proud, he loved his new shirt that said "I Heart Lady Gay Gay."

But that shirt earned him a trip home.

His mother says the school is violating Cole's freedom of speech and expression rights because it allows kids who wear religious shirts and rebel flag shirts to wear those in school. The school said his shirt was a disruption.

Trouble is, Cole Goforth has worn gay shirts to school before. And I don't mean figuratively gay, I mean, literally, shirts that say G-A-Y. And those were okay.

The Robertson County School Board dress code does not specifically ban shirts with the word "gay" on them, but it does say that each principal can interpret the dress code and take action if a student's dress causes a disruption. Administrators at the school say they chose to send Cole home because there had been fights in recent weeks and they didn't want another disruption. But even they don't say that the altercations had anything to do with Cole, or his shirt.

So...............What the hell?

What the hell is wrong with our schools? Kids can't go to prom because they're gay? They can't wear "gay" clothes? They can't have the word gay on their clothes?

These are the perfect times to teach lessons of understanding; that differences shouldn't be treated as less than, but celebrated. These are times when people need to stand up and say this is ridiculous.

A gay student will not destroy the prom.

And a shirt with the word gay on it will not cause a fight.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:38 AM

    I see you disregarded the facts that he started nearly all his fights (porvoked). How many fights/disruptions should a school allow to go on? It has nothing to do with freedom of speech or his rights being taken from him. He can express himself all he wants as long as it does not stomp on the rights of others as well. Like the saying goes...."your rights ends where my nose begins"

    Face it, he wanted Lady gaga's attention and more then likely a free celebirty ride. If he is not trying to get attention....he is going in the wrong direction.

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  2. Anonymous12:42 PM

    I am a strong advocate of students wearing a uniform during their school years. I had to and look at me, came out of school more fabulous....
    But seriously, wearing uniforms there would be no religious indoctrination or any other personal agenda pushed in a field where young people should concentrate in education. esides, there wouldn't be competition of who wears the nicest clothes....

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