Gay, anti-gay demonstrations planned at Snoqualmie school (Pastor Ken Hutcherson again)

[Barrett808]

Source: KING 5 News

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - Some Eastside parents are thinking about keeping their kids home today.

Almost 200 students at Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie signed up to support a national day of silence Friday for gay and lesbian students, but at least one parent is angry the school is allowing the day-long demonstration on school grounds.

That parent organized a protest, which sparked plans of a possible counter protest. But some students don't want to pick sides.

Participants in Friday's National Day of Silence plan to wear t-shirts and armbands in support of gay and lesbians at the school.

"To stand up for students who can't stand up for themselves because they've been harassed or threatened," said Katie Storrs, student.

...

But one parent is refusing to stay silent.

"We sent our kids there to get an education, not an indoctrination," said Pastor Ken Hutcherson, Antioch Bible Church.

Ex-student returns to Mount Si to support controversial gay-rights Day of Silence
By Lynn Thompson
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Neil Lequia will be watching the protests and counter-protests at Mount Si High School today with more than a little emotion.

As a gay-rights activist, he's helping to organize a news conference in support of students participating in the national Day of Silence, an event meant to highlight the silence gay students say they often must maintain at school.

As a gay teenager growing up in the Snoqualmie Valley, he remembers "the bullies," popular, athletic boys vamping in the hall and pretending to flirt with him. He was part of the school's first Day of Silence in 2006, in part to call attention to the harassment.

Nineteen now, and two years out of high school, Lequia said, "Even being in the closet was hard there."

While the Day of Silence will be observed at more than 200 high schools around the state, Mount Si is expected to be the flash point for protests and counterprotests.

Late last week, the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, an outspoken anti-gay-rights pastor, called for 1,000 "prayer warriors" to peacefully march outside the high school.

In an interview, he repeated his view that homosexuality is a sin. "God hates it," he said.

(more)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004372675_lequia25e.html

Read more: http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_042508WAB_day_silence_protest_LJ.9b00a40a.html

[damntexdem]

1. Yeah, students don't need to pick sides. They can just stay silent.

;-)

[nykym]

2. In response to the one parent who

is refusing to stay silent - good that is your right under what's left of our constitution. In defense of the students, they are doing exactly what you are protesting. Getting an education by learning to fight bigotry ignorance and hate.

[Mojambo]

3. I went to school there for a while

I can't imagine what the harassment would be like for a gay student. There is a high concentration of rednecks.

[yardwork]

4. I'm so proud of my "popular, athletic boys" - members of their high school GSA

and participants in this National Day of Silence.

For every thoughtless, cruel adult there are many, many young people who stand up for the rights of all people. I'm so proud of my sons, and their generation.