I love the Freedom of Speech, one of our dearest freedoms granted to us by the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. Of course, you would expect me to write that. I am a journalist. As a reader – as a U.S. citizen – you should love the Freedom of Speech, too. Yet certain news events, locally and nationally, have reminded me that our affection with the Freedom is a love-hate relationship.
Take, for example, the Westboro Baptist Church. The Supreme Court recently upheld a decision to allow this religious group to stage anti-gay protests at military funerals. The court found that the church members should be allowed to picket funerals by relying on their First Amendment rights to free speech.
I agree. I cannot support this church’s message, but I support their right to say it.
About the same time of the Supreme Court’s church decision, a Federal Appeals Court upheld a previous ruling allowing high school students to display messages critical of homosexuality. Neuqua Valley High School had allowed students to participate in a “Day of Silence” to protest against LGBT harassment. The day after, student Heidi Zamecnik wore a T-shirt that read, “Be Happy, Not Gay.”
“People in our society do not have a legal right to prevent criticism of their beliefs or their way of life,” the court said in its ruling.
Again, I agree. I cannot support the student’s message, but I support her right to say it.
A new T-shirt fiasco further proves our love-hate relationship with the Freedom of Speech. Desoto Parish Middle School in Louisiana needs to be taught a lesson. WWLTV reported principal Keith Simmons sent Dawn Henderson home after she refused to change a T-shirt that said, “Some Kids R Gay. That’s OK.”
If the courts say a student can wear an anti-gay T-shirt, then a student should be able to wear a pro-gay T-shirt.
We in the LGBT community should be expressing our Freedom of Speech more often. I do it each week with this publication. How are you going to show your love?
JONATHAN YOUNG, Editor
San Diego LGBT Weekly
