It's such a good thing that Oklahoma passed a ban on Sharia Law. After all, the good people of the Sooner State would never tolerate such extreme theocracy. Right? Wrong. From The Advocate:
According to KWTV News, 18-year-old Melissa McKenzie said she was kicked out of Del City High School in Del City, Okla., at the beginning of the semester when the principal found out she was living with her girlfriend instead of her family. The principal then told her if she returned to her family's home, she would be welcomed back to school.
Kelsey Hicks, McKenzie's girlfriend, dropped out of school but wanted to finish her education so she could become a firefighter. Upon asking school leaders if she could return, she said they instead encouraged her to drop out.
"The principal will say 'Well, you're gay. You're not going to do anything with your life. You might as well just drop out now,'" Hicks said. "It's stuff to put you down that makes you want to drop out."
It's not just the type of stuff that makes you want to drop out. It's the type of stuff that has led directly to the rash of suicides among our young brothers and sisters in the LGBT community. Here we have a young high-school student who wants to finish her educations because she dreams of a career where she can put her life on the line to serve her community--and she's being told that because of who she's attracted to by no choice of her own, she won't get that chance if the powers that be at the Mid-Del Public School District get their way.
On a final note, here's the district's statement defending their position:
"It is the policy of the Mid-Del Public School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs, services, and activities," said a statement from district officials. "The safety of our students is always the priority of Mid-Del Schools."
Notice what isn't in that policy? Orientation. Might be time to add that to the list, perhaps.
