School bans gay support group from advertising in student newspaper
School officials at Lampeter-Strasburg High School, Pittsburgh, USA, have stopped the distribution of a school newspaper with an advertisement by a gay and lesbian support group, and distributed it two weeks later without the ad.
A teacher at the school said in an e-mail to a parent that 1,200 copies of the November edition of The Limelight newspaper were recalled because of the advertisement by the gay support group Common Roads.
Common Roads’ ad said it was an adult-supervised support group for LGBT youths that meets weekly. The Limelight was eventually distributed to students Dec. 2 without the ad.
Student editor Evan Macy said he was never formally told of the reason for the decision, which he said constituted discrimination.
“Symbolically, it’s a gesture against the gay community, and that’s offensive,” Macy told the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. “I really think the reason they did it is they were uncomfortable and afraid of backlash.”
Superintendent Robert Frick did not immediately return telephone messages left at their offices Friday by The Associated Press.
An e-mail from the paper’s faculty adviser Adam Zurn to Macy’s mother, Karyn, attributed the decision to District solicitor Robert M. Frankhouser Jr., who would not return calls by The Associated Press.
“I understand that Evan is disappointed. I am, too,” Zurn wrote. “I would have liked for things to turn out differently.”
Macy said he is collecting signatures on a protest petition that he plans to present to the school board.
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