After two students at an Ohio high
school were barred from wearing t-shirts with the word “lesbian,”
supportive teens rallying to their side also faced disciplinary
measures.
Two girls at Celina High School in
western Ohio celebrated Twin Day by wearing t-shirts that read
“Lesbian 1” and “Lesbian 2.” School officials asked the
female students to change their clothing.
Roughly 20 students attended school on
Tuesday wearing home-made t-shirts in support of the students. One
t-shirt included a rainbow graphic, a symbol of gay pride, along with
the caption “I Support … Express Yourself.” Another read
“Straight but Supportive.”
The show of support was organized by
sophomore Jimmy Walter, the younger brother of one of the female
students who wore the “lesbian” t-shirt.
“My sister got yelled at and screamed
at [by administrators], and she was basically told she was unwanted
at the school because she was gay,” Walter is quoted as saying by
US
News & World Report.
Assistant Principle Phil Metz forced
the students to remove the t-shirts, giving detention to those who
did not comply.
Metz said the t-shirts were
inappropriate because they were “political.”
In a posting on Reddit.com,
junior Erick Warner disputed the claim, saying students often wear
clothing which could be considered political.
“[Our high] school promotes their
pro-life club called the 'Students for Life.' They have their own
shirts, which have a fetus and promotes pro-life,” he wrote. “How
is that not considered 'political'?”
He added that he's seen classmates wear
t-shirts in favor of Mitt Romney and ones which call President Obama
a socialist.
Celina is located in Mercer County,
considered one of the most conservative counties in the state.
The ACLU of Ohio says it is considering
a lawsuit. Last year, an Ohio high school student sued his school
after officials disciplined him for wearing a t-shirt which read
“Jesus in not a homophobe.” The
student won his case.