Badpuppy Gay Today

Friday, 25 April 1997

Silver Spring's Montgomery Blair High School, located on the northern edge of the nation's capital, has been embroiled since October 15 in a gay-related censorship struggle. The aim of the censors, who have now lost their battle, was to squelch a taped television debate between two traditional marriage defenders, Paula Govers of Concerned Women for America and Kris Ardizonne, Legal Director of the Eagle Forum (Phyllis Schafley's group) and two pro-same-sex marriage panelists, including the gay rights pioneer, Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, representing the D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance and Judith Schaeffer, Deputy Legal Director of People for the American Way. School officials had disallowed airing the student-produced debate, arguing that such a controversial topic should not be broadcast along with other instructional shows and school related notices to 185,000 Montgomery County cable subscribers.

The marriage debate was to be part of a series of monthly discussions constructed by Blair communications arts students under the title, "Shades of Grey," and was put together by the students under Chris Lloyd, the teacher's supervision. When the show was about to air live, the cable channel's program director informed the pupils that their production had been pre-empted. Undaunted, they continued their taping. Paul L. Vance, Superintendent of Schools, backed the program manager's decision, though Vance and the manager have now been overruled. Dr. Kameny told GayToday that the four panelists representing both sides of the marriage debate, were opposed to any censoring of views.

Giving "reasons" for pulling the plug, the program manager produced an "endless parade" of changing explanations, including what he saw as a poor stage set. It was a focus on religion, however, that was given primary emphasis for the bumping of the show and that was quoted widely. The program manager insisted that a certain Washington, D.C. "gay activist had brought up the matter of God in a very heated and controversial manner."

That controversial activist was Dr. Kameny, whose panel comments were quoted (April 24) in The Washington Post: "We all have our own views of God. My God gave us homosexuality as a blessing given to us by our creator God to be enjoyed to its fullest. My God sanctified same-sex marriage even if your God does not, and we are both American citizens and both Gods deserve recognition from our--not your--government."

Kameny's comments were made after an opposing panelist had insisted that "marriage is an institution sanctioned by God, licensed by the state, specifically between one man and one woman and specifically for the purpose of procreation, and should be a covenant between two people that should be a lifetime commitment."

Students appealed their cause and got strong backing from their principal, Phillip Gainous. Enlisting Jamin B. Raskin, a law professor at American University, as their attorney, they were pleased to find, according to Raskin, officials' censorous behavior violated laws fashioned to prevent government from suppressing those ideas which might offend its changing retinue of bureaucrats.

School officials were loathe to accept censorship as a description of their behavior, claiming that they had already taken corrective action on the night before the Montgomery County Board of Education, in response to student appeals, overruled them.

Following the panelists' victory, Dr. Kameny said he would be spending the evening of April 24 celebrating the 26th anniversary of the Washington, D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance. At that celebration, he said, a Community Service Award will be presented to the five Montgomery Blair students who were involved in the making and defense of "Shades of Grey,", Andrea Merriam, Andrea Stuart, Shanon Henry, Michael Akman, and Emily Beckman.

Asked by GayToday to comment on the students' free speech victory, Kameny, smiling, raised a clenched fist, and said, "Long live the First Amendment!"