SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – On the eve of June’s “Pride Month,” the Seminole County school board made a last-minute decision to cancel plans for a proclamation supporting LGBTQ employees and students.
The proclamation would have rhetorically affirmed the board’s “commitment to a supportive school environment for students, families and staff in the LGBTQ community.”
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Superintendent Serita Beamon pulled the item from the agenda at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting.
Some parents supported the move, saying the proclamation would just divide students into groups.
“The more you label, the more it divides,” said Jessica Tillman, a member of Moms for Liberty. “Are you going to celebrate special-needs students now? Autistic students? Students with cancer? Left-handed students? Red-headed students? How far are we going to go with this?”
Others disagreed, saying LGBTQ students need the affirmation.
“It’s not about special treatment,” said Maddie Kessler, a resident of Seminole County. “It’s about affirming kids and making them feel safe.”
Orange County’s school board passed a similar proclamation last week.