Graham Taylor spoke up for the teacher A gay 14-year-old Michigan student has stood up for a teacher during a board meeting, after the teacher threw two students out of class on a day against anti-gay bullying. Howell High School economics teacher Jay McDowell wore purple on October 20, a day to commemorate gay teenagers who had killed themselves after being subjected to anti-gay bullying. McDowell asked a student to remove a Confederate flag belt buckle and the student complied without protest. Another student, 16-year-old Daniel Glowacki, piped up and asked why the student with the belt buckle should be required to take off the Confederate flag buckle when other students were allowed to wear purple shirts. A heated exchange reportedly followed, with Glowacki stating that he was a Christian and did not support the gay "lifestyle," and McDowell eventually asked him and another student to leave the classroom. The teacher was suspended for a day without pay, sparking debate over whether he followed school policy or whether he breached Glowacki's First Amendment rights. The school superintendent has told MSNBC it was a "teachable moment" and an opportunity for dialogue, saying the student voiced his objection respectfully. People from across the state attended the board meeting in support of McDowell. Many addressed the board, including 14-year-old student Graham Taylor, who said "I myself am gay, and I am a young person. This teacher, whom I fully support, finally stood up and said something," he said. "I have been in rooms, in classes, where children have said the worst kind of things, the kinds of things that helped derive me to a suicide attempt when I was only nine-year- old. These are things that hurt a lot." Watch Graham Taylor address the board below:
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 16th November 2010 - 10:46am