In the opinion of this journalist, a gruesome poison is currently coursing through the veins of our noble country. We have been infected with a strain of impurity, a strain of unnatural filth that has affected each and every one of us in some manner. I, myself, have succumbed to the overwhelming wave of disgrace; and I write today with the hopes of lying at least a few minds to rest.

I write today—also—on behalf of the entire homosexual population of this great nation. As there are not many of us—it was not difficult to assemble and reach an agreement surrounding the burden that we have placed on our beloved country.
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Double-click on the video below for full screen—it’s cut off on our web layout.

This is Kaleb Fischbach, a sophomore who agreed to be interviewed about his transition from female to male identity. His story is also told in the feature article “And Beyond: On the spectrum of sexuality and gender.”

by Zoe Schaver

Frank Sinatra said that “Fear is the enemy of logic”; Yoda said, “Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”

The term “homophobe” lends itself to the misconception that to be homophobic is to fear gay people in the most obvious sense of the term—to truly quake with fright at the sight of a gay or lesbian or transgender person. So it is no great surprise that most who argue against gay rights declare that they are in no way “homophobes.” It doesn’t make any sense.
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by Virginia Johnson

I am not an L. I am not a G, nor a B or a T. “LGBTQ” (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning) is an option, but I find queer derogatory and I am not questioning. There is also “LGBTQ+,” and yet, “plus” diminishes what I am.

“LGBTQIAOP” (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Omnisexual [aka Pansexual] and Polysexual) includes a great deal of sexualities and gender identities, but not only is it a mouthful—there are still sexualities and identities that are excluded. A new acronym is needed—one that includes all and gives preference to none.
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by Dakota Sherek

My Aunt Stacey knows the Bible. She lives and breathes it. I still have vivid memories of when I would sit around her with my other cousins while she read us stories from the Bible before we went to bed. Most importantly, and I feel all of you should know, my aunt is a sweet, loving, kind woman. I knew if I asked her to give her point of view on why she thinks being a homosexual is a sin, she would provide real Bible verses and explain her point of view without sounding like Rush Limbaugh. The following is an essay she addressed to me in response to my question.

Dakota,

In order to answer your questions, I have to give some context. First of all, I am not a theologian. I am not an expert in theology or biblical studies. I do seek to understand God and his plans through His Word, the Bible. Second, I answer your questions from a world view that starts with God as Designer and Creator of the world and all that is in it. As the creator and designer, He knows all and has the right to set boundaries for his creation and to judge us according to his standards. He is Holy, Righteous, Just and Good.
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by Kelsey McKim

Rainbows have been reclaimed in recent years. Instead of decorating boxes of Lucky Charms or Care Bear stomachs, the multicolored bands are now waved on flags in Pride Parades, stuck onto every available surface in the “gay neighborhoods” of major cities, and pinned to overflowing backpacks in Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) meetings across the country.

Gay/Straight Alliances, or similar clubs under other names, have sprung up like wildfire since the first GSA was formed in 1988. The clubs are found in all fifty states, and are growing rapidly as the LGBT rights movement has gained awareness, popularity, and support.
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by Zoe Schaver

Jeremy Harris* is an environmentally-conscious white male living in Texas who argues opinions on his school’s debate team and trains with the local ROTC group. His parents are evangelical Christians and his dog’s name is Bubba.

He has the cultural advantages of being white, American, and in the middle class. His grades are good and he has a number of friends inside and outside of school. Demographically, he is not and has never been an outlier. But there’s one miniscule part of Jeremy’s existence, one thorny sliver of his identity, that makes him a stranger to his parents and some of those around him, that forces him to keep secrets against his own better judgment: he’s gay.
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by Emily McConville

LOUISVILLE — Local high school student journalists greeted members of their high school administration with a complimentary breakfast yesterday, in gratitude for the administrators’ repeated refusals to allow them to publish news articles and videos they deemed controversial. This proved to be a reconciliation between the press and the power, coming after a long battle over how much power the administration had over what the students could put in their publications.

“We would like to express our sincerest thanks to our Principal and assistant principals,” Elsie Blake, the editor of her school’s newspaper The Crier, said in a brief address. “Their continual suppression of our writings about issues such as gay rights, sexual misconduct, and bullying have taught us what journalism will be like in the real world, thus preparing us for what is to come.”
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by Patrick Haertel

Student journalists at duPont Manual High School make up just one of many student bodies that regularly grapple with the harsh realities of prior restraint and censorship of the student press.

Despite the fact that prior restraint and censorship violate district policy per the JCPS Student Bill of Rights—which specifically states that “[s]chool publications, such as the school newspaper, will be free from censorship or prior restraint”—school administrators still regularly prohibit the publication of certain information by claiming it will harm the students. These administrators claim to censor these stories for the protection of either the students from harassment or the school from lawsuits, but this prohibition is both a violation of student press rights and a handicapping of our student journalists’ ability to tell stories that need to be told.
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