Wyoming school bans and unbans rainbow flags after homophobic flyers

A school in Wyoming has made a U-turn on its ban on rainbow flags and LGBT+ related items.

Earlier this month homophobic and racist flyers appeared in the hallways of the school, and when a teacher reported them, she was fired.

The incident at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming saw messages distributed that read “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”

Wyoming homophobic flyers (Credit: Social media)

“Join the kkk,” the posters which appeared to be signed by “the confederate kid club,” said.

According to local news reports, substitute teacher Kaycee Cook spotted the hate posters but was later fired by Principal Jeff Conine.

Cook who is co-sponsor of the school’s gay/straight alliance, contacted Wyoming Equality which works to protect LGBT+ people in the state.

“This is unacceptable,” she said in a statement to Queerty. “It does not reflect the values of Cheyenne. We’re not going tolerate this. And we’re going to show up and support our LGBT youth and our black youth with unwavering pride and support.”

The school banned rainbow flags

On Wednesday (April 24) 20-25 students were called out of class to a meeting with three faculty members who told them they could no longer post any rainbow flags, wear any rainbow clothing or anything LGBTQ-related.

According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Ashlynn Kercher, an 8th-grade member of the Gay-Straight Alliance said, “They told us it was a school distraction and ‘You don’t want to make other people feel like you felt when you saw the posters.’”