Pittsburgh high schoolers under fire for ‘Anti-Gay Day’ with ‘lynch list’ targeting pro-LGBT student

[DonViejo]

Source: RawStory

Pittsburgh high schoolers under fire for ‘Anti-Gay Day’ with ‘lynch list’ targeting pro-LGBT students

Students at a Pittsburgh-area high school organized an “Anti-Gay Day” Thursday in response to their classmates observing an anti-bullying ‘Day of Silence” the day before, local TV station WPXI reports.

A group of students at McGuffey High School asked students who were “anti-gay” to wear a flannel shirt and write “Anti-Gay” on their hands when they went to school on Thursday. They also circulated a “lynch list” of students who participated in the Day of Silence event and tied a noose to a flag in a classroom, according to Buzzfeed.

“Yesterday, there was pushing, posters hung on homosexual students’ lockers. Teachers were having to run out and take them down,” Zoe Johnson, a student at McGuffey High School, told MPXI on Friday.

The group uploaded Bible verses to social media and tagged their gay classmates, Johnson said. “It hurts me to see how rude and cruel, and some of these people were my friends before this started,” she said.

-snip-



Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/04/pittsburgh-high-schoolers-under-fire-for-anti-gay-day-with-lynch-list-targeting-pro-lgbt-students/

[iandhr]

1. WTF

Is wrong with people?

[riversedge]

2. They learn from 'adults" this vile is OK. ....

It makes me sad to think this can even be thought up --and then implemented in a HS.

[Kber]

3. You can't support the right to bully and threaten people

And then be surprised and upset when people bully and threaten people.

[SummerSnow]

4. Horrible

[femmocrat]

5. This is a rural district, about 30 miles from Pittsburgh.

Parts of western PA are very "conservative"* outside of metro-Pittsburgh.

*(think "redneck" if that term is not too offensive).

[smiley]

6. very true..

but it doesn't excuse the behavior, which I'm sure you agree.

I spent roughly 12 years in the Pittsburgh area. This type of mentality exists in the urban areas too. Maybe not as much, but it's still there.

[femmocrat]

10. I absolutely agree with you.

I spent most of my teaching career in a similar district, so I've seen it up close. I believe it comes from the home and community. I don't know what it will take to change these pernicious attitudes. They don't seem at all interested in changing their backwater mentality. Instead, they seem proud of their ignorance.

[Skittles]

12. this is what repukes call TRADITIONAL VALUES

yup

[onehandle]

11. We call it 'Pennsyltucky' here. nt

[DirkGently]

7. Sounds like something they learned at home.

Kids can be creeps, but organized hate comes from adults and churches and things.

Gah.

[appalachiablue]

8. Also from dominant RW corporate Hate Media-24/7- TV, Radio, Internet, Social Media

It's the space that's been filled, 90% of all US Media. Happened in the last 20+ years since the Telecom Act of 1996 deregulated the Media, took away rules of how many outlets and stations one company could own, so this is the result. Eg Sinclair owns 1,200 US Radio channels. This was prohibited previously.

The Media was deregulated in the 1990s like the Banks were, with the firewall Glass-Steagall Act ending in 1999. Now the handful of TBTF Banks control 70-80% of the US market of mortgages and credit card debt. They're bigger than ever, like the consolidated Media giants. Reagan stopped enforcing the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in the 1980s; this is the result- Monopolies.

Until the Left counters with an accessible, independent and quality Media that is affordable and in several formats, the haters and right rule.

This is a very ugly, undemocratic and dangerous situation at this school. Friends from Pgh are shocked, in the American steel town city of workers, notables and artists like Andy Warhol and playwright August Wilson.

[blackspade]

13. It feels like race relations are getting worse, not better.

These assholes should be suspended at the very least.

Their parents must be hideous assholes as well.

[HockeyMom]

14. Kick a Jew Day at Florida HS schools

5 years ago. I was working at the school district. Apparently, these "Christian" students were upset that the Jewish kids were taking off from school on their holy days, missing team sports games, practices, etc., and that school administration condoned their absences.

Only Christians attend public schools? Only Christian religion is recognized? We are a Christian Nation? If Jesus came down to the school himself, would they kick him too? Wonder where these kids got these ideas from?

Administration sent around letters to the parents. If your student kicks another student, for whatever reason, they will be expelled. We do not tolerate bullying.

While it seems LGTB students are the favorite targets today, it could be any group not in the majority, unfortunately. The special needs kids are favorite targets also.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. But...but...but...I thought we just had to wait til the old people died off?!

The title is something I hear peddled way too much. It is ageist drivel that needs to be retired from the general belief system. The idea it is just (or primarily) older people who are bigoted is laughably sad. What I find even more ironic is the number of older people who spout this nonsense.

[appalachiablue]

16. You said it. "The old narrow minded folks will just die off & the young diverse population will

right everything, so just relax and chill". Not for a minute. Bigotry and Hate are growing daily at a frightening pace. Time to End the fantasy talk. And the ageism concept is faulty- there are many open minded, tolerant older people who experienced a better world pre-Reagan, greed and corporatism.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. I agree with you as well.

Obama's election saw a significant jump in membership in hate groups. Coincidence? I highly doubt it, just as I doubt they were all old people. Like you, I know many an open-minded, well-adjusted, big hearted elderly person. I know some not as open-minded too, but with a few, I have been able to make changes. Conversely, I have known many a young person (I am in the middle now at 45) who was pig-headed and bigoted to the core. There are also those, like my niece, who are open, loving, and changing the minds of her peers. Like most diseases, bigotry doesn't infect only a target population; it goes where it is cultivated.

[appalachiablue]

19. Bigotry...goes where it is cultivated, says it all. Ignorance of history, science & the largely

unopposed, RW corporate propaganda Media Monopolies are responsible. Like the TBTF Superbanks, these Media conglomerates are consolidated into about 6 giants now that control 90% of US Media- TV, Radio, Newspapers, Publishing and even outlets on the Internet.

The dominance of the Media and Financial sectors is highly dangerous for people, democracy, our country and the environment.
20+ years of damage since the 1996 Telecom Act that deregulated media ownership and it's past time to BREAK UP the Media Giants. Confront the FCC, restore the Fairness Doctrine and enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust Act that Reagan ignored.

I despise bigotry, racism and injustice, always have. And I love and honor the US.

[workinclasszero]

18. The little teahaddists probably heard it in church

David Berzins: What's a Little Genocide Between Friends?

Start at about 1:08 for the murder the gays part

[closeupready]

20. Just doing their Christian thing, no doubt.