An LGBT group recently donated a bunch of pride flags to schools in Carroll County, Maryland. The school board thought it would be great if teachers displayed them in classrooms as a sign of support for the LGBT community, but not all the teachers were comfortable with this idea.
As we have noted recently, part of free speech is being free from compelled speech.
This is a perfect example of that.
Jessica Chasmar reports at FOX News:
Maryland school board to adopt new flag policy after teachers ‘bullied’ into supporting LGBTQ pride flagA Maryland school board has moved to adopt a new policy on political symbols that could ban items like the rainbow pride flag in public school classrooms after members said teachers were “bullied” into displaying pride flags that were recently donated by an LGBTQ group.The Carroll County school board has voted to develop a new flag policy that may only allow the U.S. flag, Maryland state flag and Carroll County flags to be displayed in classrooms.The vote last week came after a collection of small rainbow Pride flags was donated to Carroll County Public Schools by the Westminster chapter of PFLAG, a national LGBTQ group, and schools staff members were encouraged to display them as support for the LGBTQ community.Caitlin Edmondson, a Carroll County parent, told Fox News Digital that she found the effort “very concerning.””The pride flags that are being forced upon teachers do not solely represent the gay community. They also represent gender identity and transgender ideology,” she said. “As a parent of a 6-year-old in CCPS, it is very concerning that anyone would think it is OK to push these agendas on our youngest and most vulnerable.”
These flags don’t belong in public school classrooms anywhere. The only flags that should be acceptable are the U.S. flag and the state flag.
FOX 45 in Baltimore has more on this:
Some Maryland parents are voicing concerns over potential curriculum changes and the display of rainbow flags inside classrooms.In Carroll County, the school board will develop a new policy on the use of political symbols inside public schools – specifically flags – after parents brought up the topic of rainbow flags being displayed…“I don’t believe it should be there, it’s not a part of the whole American tradition and things like that. I mean it goes against my beliefs, but to each its own, don’t get me wrong. I think it puts mixed feelings in the kids’ heads and stuff like that,” said Mike Gletner.“It is a political symbol and we should not fly the flags in the classrooms. Political views should stay out of education. Education of students, they are there to learn and feel comfortable and that’s why the LGBT flag, the rainbow flag, whatever you want to call it should not be flying. It’s still another political flag,” said Barbara Summers.
That last comment is correct, it is a political symbol. Supporters try to frame this as being tolerant and supportive of others. That’s not what this is about at all.
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