Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Lincoln Journal-Star reports:
Grand Island Northwest Public Schools administrators eliminated its journalism program and student newspaper in June in what some former students and press freedom advocates call an act of censorship.The school year-ending issue of the Saga newspaper included student editorials on LGBTQ topics, along with a news article titled “Pride and prejudice: LGBTQIA+” on the origins of Pride month and the history of homophobia.
Other stories explained registering for classes, highlighted achievements by the Future Business Leaders of America chapter and told the story of a group of siblings’ adoption. The Grand Island Independent, which had printed the school paper on its press, was informed via email in late May “the (journalism and newspaper) program was cut because the school board and superintendent are unhappy with the last issue’s editorial content.”
The Associated Press reports:
The paper’s demise also came a month after its staff was reprimanded for publishing students’ preferred pronouns and names. District officials told students they could only use names assigned at birth going forward. That decision directly affected Saga staff writer Marcus Pennell, a transgender student, who saw his byline changed against his wishes to his birth name of “Meghan” Pennell in the June issue.
Some school board members have made no secret of their objection to the Saga’s LGBTQ content, including board president Dan Leiser, who said “most people were upset” with it. Board vice president Zach Mader directly cited the pro-LGBTQ editorials, adding that if district taxpayer had read the last issue of the Saga, “they would have been like, ‘Holy cow. What is going on at our school?’”
Administrators at a Nebraska school shuttered the school’s award-winning student newspaper just days after its last edition that included articles and editorials on LGBTQ issues, leading press freedom advocates to call the move an act of censorship. https://t.co/5jn1tqUwQm
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 25, 2022
Northwest Public Schools administrators eliminated its journalism program in June in what some former students and press freedom advocates call an act of censorship. https://t.co/OF7BiBh2wD
— The Grand Island Independent (@theindependent) August 24, 2022