Principal Halts Articles About Homosexuality in School Paper

From an AP report:

Student journalists sued their Bakersfield high school district Thursday in an effort to keep the school's principal from censoring student newspaper articles on homosexuality.

The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, requests an emergency order to allow the paper to publish the stories in The Kernal's year-end May 27 issue.

"The Kernal staff, along with the gay students we interviewed, we have lost our voices," said the paper's editor in chief, Joel Paramo, a plaintiff in the case filed in Kern County court. East Bakersfield High School Principal John Gibson said he blocked publication because he is worried about violence on campus. "It's not about gay and lesbians. It's about student safety," he said."

Perhaps the principal felt there should be some balance in sensitive social issues placed before students. The recent Montgomery County Maryland court decision required balance in presenting information regarding sexuality.

Whatever the principal's reasoning, the California story made me reflect on the recent GLSEN/Fenway Community Health/Little Black Book at Brookline High School story. If the California school newspaper story is national news, then why is the Brookline, MA story not national news? Both concern homosexuality in schools and both have national implications. One reflects poorly on homosexual organizations, one portrays 'gay students' as fighting for rights. I leave it to the reader to determine which story fits which description. If a Catholic priest or minister had handed out these suggestive materials, there would rightfully be an outpouring of protest. But GLSEN et al say, "ooops" and that is all there is to say?