You Might Like
Teen suspended from school for wearing ‘nobody knows I’m a lesbian t-shirt’
An American high school senior is taking a stand for freedom of expression after being suspended for wearing a t-shirt printed with the phrase ‘nobody knows I’m a lesbian’.
Openly gay student Briana Popour claims she was pulled out of class at Chesnee High School to be told her shirt was ‘disruptive’, and went against the dress code.
‘I’ve worn this shirt before and nobody’s ever said anything,’ said Popour, speaking to News2.
When she protested the school administrator’s decision, explaining that there was nothing in the handbook forbidding students from expressing their sexual orientation, he is said to have responded that ‘not everything is in the handbook’.
The explicit wording in the dress code states that ‘clothing deemed distracting, revealing, overly suggestive or otherwise disruptive will not be permitted.’
An email from the school district clarified the situation, explaining the shirt was ‘offensive and distracting’.
‘She was asked by school administration to cover it or change it, but refused, preferring to be suspended instead,’ the district said.
Popper’s mother is now searching for answers as to why the shirt was seen to be offensive.
‘[The administrator] does not like people in his school wearing anything that says anything about lesbians, gays, or bisexuals,’ she said. ‘There’s other stuff that could be against religion, that could be against anything else, but that wasn’t listed in his comments.’
Now Popour is keen to share her story so other gay teens feel comfortable in expressing their identity – however they see fit.
‘Isn’t that what school is supposed to teach you? To be happy with who you are?’ she said.
‘Maybe people will be more comfortable showing who they are because you should be able to wear what you want to wear.’
The post Teen suspended from school for wearing ‘nobody knows I’m a lesbian t-shirt’ appeared first on Gay Star News.
Mel Spencer
You Might Like
