Removal of Gay Pride Flags In Classrooms Protested At West Virginia School
The removal of the flags came after Monongalia County Schools sent a directive to school principals in September calling on them to take down political statements or campaign posters on classroom walls.
(Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Dolton; Illinois — Queer students and others at a Morgantown, West Virginia high school recently protested the school’s removal of Gay Pride flags from classrooms.
The removal of the flags came after Monongalia County Schools sent a directive to school principals in September calling on them to take down political statements or campaign posters on classroom walls, according to Yahoo News.
Superintendent Eddie Campbell Jr. said the directive aimed to help quell political divides. But some students said the flag goes beyond ideology.
Lonnie Medley, an MHS senior and member of the LBGTQ + community, said the flag is a beacon for students who might still be closeted. Without it hanging in classrooms, he’s feeling lost, he said.
Quinn Rainbeau, 14, feels lost, too. She feels like adults are speaking for her without considering the thoughts of her and her fellow students.
“What is wrong with this generation,” she said.