Students wear ‘Straight Pride’ shirts during school’s anti-bullying initiative

CHICAGO — It wasn’t exactly the way they had imagined, but St. Charles North High School
administrators said an anti-bullying initiative may have accomplished
its goal after a group of students wore “Straight Pride” T-shirts
through the hallways this week.

“While it may have been a little bit controversial at times, the kids at North are talking about this,” said Jim Blaney, director of school and community relations for St. Charles Unit District 303. “They are learning about people who might have a different opinion than theirs.”

Several students complained to high school
administrators on Monday — the first day of anti-bullying “Ally week” —
when three students wore the T-shirts, which also quoted a biblical
passage advocating death as a punishment for homosexual activity.

“It was honestly just really upsetting to me that someone would try to bring that into school,” said Joe Adamczyk, a senior who is a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance. “I thought society was sort of beyond this, but it feels like we’re kind of regressing.”

Deans met with the students, and after establishing
that there was no threat of physical harm to others, asked the students
to cross out a portion of the biblical passage with permanent marker.

When two different students came to school wearing
homemade “Straight Pride” shirts — without the biblical passage — the
next day, school administrators asked the students to cover up with
sweatshirts.

Students in both cases agreed, Blaney said, adding
that the incident was delicate because the shirts’ messages were
phrased as a viewpoint, touching on students’ First Amendment rights.

“What we are trying to do is help students learn
that while they have a right to advocate a cause and they certainly
have a right to free speech, at the same time, they also have to
understand that … people might perceive their message is offensive.”

The shirts prompted heated discussion in the school
hallways and on Facebook, where more than 100 members of one group said
they planned to attend an upcoming school district board meeting.

Blaney said school administrators are continuing to
monitor the situation and rumors stemming from it, including one that
students will wear the shirts — or all black shirts in protest — Friday.

Adamczyk, who helped to organize “Ally week,” said
Friday students are to wear blue and black — the school colors — to
promote unity.

“It’s been a tough week,” he said. “I’m proud of my school.”

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