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Winston-Salem Superintendent Pushes Christian 'Cure' for Gays Wyoming Police Evict 2 Girls from a School Dance in Big Piney |
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"While you are certainly entitled to hold your personal religious views (and to speak about them in your personal capacity, to members of your church, for example), the Constitution prohibits your use of your public position to advance them." Martin had sent an e-mail earlier this year to administrators and principals promoting an event by an organization called Living in Freedom Eternally (L.I.F.E.) Ministry. Joanna Highley, one of the group's founders, was to speak at a local Presbyterian church about how Christianity can convert gays into heterosexuals. In his e-mail, Martin said Highley had "worked with a number of practicing homosexuals about returning to a heterosexual lifestyle" and that he would like "to encourage you to come hear about her program.…" At the presentation, Highley said her group believes "that homosexuality is a Satanic counterfeit to God's created design," according to the Winston-Salem Journal. "Government officials have no right to promote a religious agenda," said the Reverend Barry W. Lynn, AU's executive director. "The public school superintendent clearly took advantage of his position when he encouraged his subordinates to attend the event." AU's letter urged Martin to "refrain in the future from advocating staff attendance at religious events" and asked him to respond to AU's complaint within 30 days. "We want to make sure this sort of thing does not happen again," Lynn said. Wyoming Police Evict 2 High School Girls from Homecoming Dance
Blair, an honor student who participates in swimming, band, basketball, track, and choir, had listed a female friend as her homecoming date when she signed up for the September 12 dance. School officials told her that same-sex dates aren't allowed at dances. Blair is heterosexual, but she and her friend decided to attend together in order to help lesbian and gay students in her district who may want to bring dates to school dances in the future. When Blair and her date arrived at the dance the next evening they were met by local police officers, who then escorted them off the premises without any explanation. "Too many schools don't understand that students have a Constitutional right to take a same-sex date to events like homecoming and prom," said Ken Choe, a staff attorney with the Lesbian & Gay Rights Project of the ACLU. "Amanda and her date were illegally prevented from doing the same things that other couples attending a school dance do -- seeing their friends, getting their picture taken, and having a fun evening." In a letter sent to officials at Sublette County District #9, the ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project and the ACLU of Wyoming demand that the illegal policy be lifted, citing a 1980 federal case in Rhode Island. In that case, a federal judge ruled that students who want to bring same-sex dates to school dances are not only protected under the free expression provisions of the First Amendment, but that schools must take steps to ensure their safety when they do bring same-sex dates to school dances. In the 23 years since Fricke v. Lynch was decided, students throughout the U.S. have brought same-sex dates to school dances without incident. "Our family is outraged that Amanda was treated like a common criminal just for trying to take who she wanted to the dance," said Kris Blair, Amanda's mother. She added, "I'm proud that my daughter is standing up for the rights of her gay and lesbian friends. Gay students in our town should not have to face this kind of humiliation in the future." Fricke v. Lynch decision: http://archive.aclu.org/court/fricke_decision.html |
The Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for the Seperation of Church & State 
Big Piney High School