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Discussion: High school cancels valedictorian's speech because he is gay
Member Since: 8/30/2012
Posts: 5,537
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Quote:
Originally posted by Slim Shady
The comments on yahoo are on point tho lbr
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I agree with that comment entirely.
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Member Since: 2/4/2014
Posts: 8,486
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Not people defending the school.
Sure, the speech is tacky, but it's his prerogative. We all know why it was canceled. The lawyer for the school said this...
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School attorney Barry Arrington was quoted as saying in the Daily Camera that a graduation speech is not the time for a student to 'push his personal agenda on a captive audience.'
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Member Since: 8/17/2013
Posts: 19,066
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Not the time and place to come out, school made the right decision.
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Member Since: 8/30/2012
Posts: 5,537
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Quote:
Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra
Not people defending the school.
Sure, the speech is tacky, but it's his prerogative. We all know why it was canceled. The lawyer for the school said this...
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What's wrong with the lawyer's declaration ?
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 24,694
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that is just disgusting
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Member Since: 11/27/2008
Posts: 78,826
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My school didn't have a Valedictiorian speech. You actually auditioned one.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,579
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Quote:
Originally posted by Slim Shady
The comments on yahoo are on point tho lbr
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I.... Actually kind of agree. Initially I thought the school was completely in the wrong, but that quote actually makes a LOT of sense, by outing himself to everyone there, he makes the graduation less about the class and really all about himself. So there is a very good reason for that to be cut (I do NOT know if the school's reason was this, but this IS the reason I'm in support of not letting him give the speech. It is very possible the school made what I would consider the right decision for the absolute wrong decision, and the lawyer's comment does make it sound like that's the case)
Now that said, they were completely out of line in outing him to his parents. That should be at the discretion of the person and NO ONE else. He might have been planning it for the graduation, but that DID change and he deserved the right to tell them about his sexuality in the way that he wanted them to learn and not have the school send a letter which outs him (it probably wasn't malicious but... It was inappropriate)
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Member Since: 5/17/2009
Posts: 18,731
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First someone proposed at a graduation, and now this. People will do anything for attention.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,579
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Quote:
Originally posted by Gossamer™
First someone popped the question at graduation and now this. People will do anything for attention .
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You're ****ing kidding me? Seriously? That is so inappropriate. Graduation is not YOUR (not you specifically, just a phrase) event, it's your CLASS'S event
Looked more closely too. Dissing students and faculty? Personalized graduation gown? Big declaration? Yeah, this sounds a lot more like attention seeking than making a point
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Member Since: 2/4/2014
Posts: 8,486
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Quote:
Originally posted by Idontcareaboutyou
What's wrong with the lawyer's declaration ?
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What's right about it? The valedictorian's speech will inevitably about himself or herself. Other people have written valedictorian speeches about personal things or commented on social issues personal to them so what's the difference here? Because it's a personal agenda they're uncomfortable with?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,579
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Quote:
Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra
What's right about it? The valedictorian's speech will inevitably about himself or herself. Other people have written valedictorian speeches about personal things or commented on social issues personal to them so what's the difference here? Because it's a personal agenda they're uncomfortable with?
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While I'm not taking his side in terms of pushing agenda or whatever, the difference is this valedictorian was doing it in a way that put ALL the attention on him. He wasn't pulling from a personal experience to make a point, he was outing himself to EVERYONE. That tends to draw way more attention. Besides that, customized graduation gown, disses to students and faculty (deserved or not isn't the point, it's not his graduation, it's all of their graduation) What he was doing really does come across more as attention seeking.
And, again, coming out puts WAY more attention on you than doing some forgettable monologue that ties into a point well.
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Member Since: 8/30/2012
Posts: 5,537
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Quote:
Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra
What's right about it? The valedictorian's speech will inevitably about himself or herself. Other people have written valedictorian speeches about personal things or commented on social issues personal to them so what's the difference here? Because it's a personal agenda they're uncomfortable with?
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There's a difference between commenting about issues which are of importance to you (and that includes gay rights) and coming out at that precise moment...
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Well, I think the principal is making an issue out of nothing. The kid should say whatever he wants, as long as it isn't clearly disrespectful or inappropriate. He didn't work hard in class for nothing!
But also, I think it's stupid when gays say "it's such an important part of who I am." It's just like when people on Instagram list "gay" on their bio... Like, okay? Do straight people list "straight" on their bio?
Anyways, the principal handled this like a jackass.
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Member Since: 12/16/2008
Posts: 59,380
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Sorry but the boy comes up as attention seeker, it is not the right time to do that, the evening is for your classmates to enjoy, all together not make it all about yourself. Why didn't he come out before?
I agree that the principal shouldn't have putting him out the closet, even if the door were open even if he was halfway out.
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Member Since: 11/28/2011
Posts: 27,495
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Quote:
Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra
What's right about it? The valedictorian's speech will inevitably about himself or herself. Other people have written valedictorian speeches about personal things or commented on social issues personal to them so what's the difference here? Because it's a personal agenda they're uncomfortable with?
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I think there is a difference between talking about his struggles as a gay student and how he overcame them (briefly maybe), during the valedictorian speech, as opposed to coming out . Which is bound to cause a spectacle. And it's impossible to predict how people would react, especially his parents. As I said, this is not 90210 and it could have turned out messy.
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Member Since: 2/4/2014
Posts: 8,486
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Quote:
Originally posted by Idontcareaboutyou
There's a difference between commenting about issues which are of importance to you (and that includes gay rights) and coming out at that precise moment...
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Like I said, it's his prerogative and if he wasn't not out and going to talk about being gay at his school, it's a certainly an appropriate time to come out. It's also not the first time a student has come out using his graduation speech or a big event so not really something outrageous. My high school valedictorian was a straight female, but she gave a speech about her personal life and talked about the immigrant experience and discrimination. Using the logic most people are using this thread, her speech was inappropriate because it was all about her when the graduation is supposed to about everyone. Okay, but her speech was about HER experience.
Anyway, it's not really hard to figure out why it was a problem for the faculty and it's not just because he was being obnoxious.
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Member Since: 2/4/2014
Posts: 8,486
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Quote:
Originally posted by Javan
I think there is a difference between talking about his struggles as a gay student and how he overcame them (briefly maybe), during the valedictorian speech, as opposed to coming out . Which is bound to cause a spectacle. And it's impossible to predict how people would react, especially his parents. As I said, this is not 90210 and it could have turned out messy.
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I agree with the parts supposedly commenting on other students and faculty being a 90210 mess, but I dont think saying that simply he's gay and talking about his experience is necessarily a bad thing like everyone else is trying to make it out to be, especially the apologists saying that gay people shouldn't make such a big deal about it because it annoys me. Well, people in general make it a big deal so it's inevitably going to be.
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Member Since: 11/28/2011
Posts: 27,495
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Quote:
Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra
I agree with the parts supposedly commenting on other students and faculty being a 90210 mess, but I dont think saying that simply he's gay and talking about his experience is necessarily a bad thing like everyone else is trying to make it out to be, especially the apologists saying that gay people shouldn't make such a big deal about it because it annoys me. Well, people in general make it a big deal so it's inevitably going to be.
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I think the circumstances would have been a lot more different if he was already out. But by the looks of it, he was trynna hop on that podium like:
Which is not appropriate!
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Member Since: 5/28/2010
Posts: 29,225
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Quote:
Originally posted by Javan
Misleading title. They didn't cancel it. He cancelled because he's egotistical and wanted the graduation to revolve around him. There is a time and a place. This isn't 90210.
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Well that's how these white gays be like.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,579
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Quote:
Originally posted by Priyanka Chopra
Like I said, it's his prerogative and if he wasn't not out and going to talk about being gay at his school, it's a certainly an appropriate time to come out. It's also not the first time a student has come out using his graduation speech or a big event so not really something outrageous. My high school valedictorian was a straight female, but she gave a speech about her personal life and talked about the immigrant experience and discrimination. Using the logic most people are using this thread, her speech was inappropriate because it was all about her when the graduation is supposed to about everyone. Okay, but her speech was about HER experience.
Anyway, it's not really hard to figure out why it was a problem for the faculty and it's not just because he was being obnoxious.
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Actually, no. If the teen was already out and wanted to pull from those experiences, it'd be completely appropriate and I'd have no objections. My objections come from the fact that he is using the speech, on his CLASS'S graduation (not just his), as a means to come out. And I genuinely don't believe he isn't doing this for attention when he requests things like a customized graduation robe as well. The issue is not that he's pulling from his experiences, it's that he's trying to make the entire night about him. Coming out during your speech would be like proposing a marriage during a speech. There are times and places to do this stuff, and during graduation is not the time or place.
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