BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Dozens of parents, grandparents, and Brevard County School workers lined up to express their concern about changing the anti-discrimination policy.
"I want this thing to go away. I want it to be so far buried down a deep well, that your grandchildren won't even be looking at it when they're sitting in your seat," one man yelled.
Those strong feelings were overwhelmingly against adding the words “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the notice. The cause is led primarily by LGBT high school teacher and advocate Daniel Wal-Desousa.
"It's the same statement that protects age, pregnancy, political affiliation, race, national origin," Wal-Desousa said.
Religious convictions fueled most arguments, many said a change in the policy amounts to reverse discrimination of Christian children.
"I still stand on the word of God and what it says that we are created male and female," a woman pastor said at the podium.
Threats to leave the school district and fight until the end brought cheers, and amens. Wal-Desousa says the wording was simply to include LGBT students and not to invoke any “special” rights.
After a more than five-hour meeting, the board ultimately decided to hold off on sending the anti-discrimination policy word changes to a public hearing, until they can all agree on the implications of it.