Students Protest Gay-Straight Club at Tennessee High School

In December 2015, Franklin County High School in Tennessee approved the Gay-Straight Alliance club. Although, not all students are happy. On Jan. 19, a Facebook user name Kyle Palmer posted:

"I'm not usually one to rant on Facebook about things, for the most part I keep my opinion to myself but I cannot bite my tongue on this one. At Franklin county high school a GSA club has been started. This stands for Gay Straight Alliance. When I heard this, I could not believe it.

The fact that we could not get an approvement to start a fishing club at our high school but they approve a gay club makes me sick. In this society, it is not okay to offend anyone. Well what about Christians? What about the WORD OF GOD? If you are offended by this post, feel free to delete me. But I will stick up for the Lord until the day I die!!! #jesusjesusjesus #tillthedayidie"

John Wimley reposted Palmer's post and added, "OK F.C. IF WE DO NOT BAN TOGETHER AND STOP THIS B.S. THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW THEY WILL HAVE F.I.M.A. (FUTURE ISIS MEMBERS of AMERICA) ‪#‎PUTGODINSCHOOLSPLEASE‬."

The high school told The Tennessean, "We all have common troubles. By having the club, even people who aren’t out can come and have a place to be themselves.” Jennie Turrell, a faculty adviser for the organization, said “We have a complicated county, and we have lots of differing points of view, and valid views and powerful views on both sides of this conversation. I think having this Gay-Straight Alliance allows for those conversations to happen.”

Parent, Chris Ball, said “Schools are for learning the basics we need to get a job after high school or get a secondary education. We’re here to teach subjects, not to promote certain ways of life. We have to remember our kids are being caught in the middle." The Gay-Straight Alliance group is voluntarily led and attended by students after school on Tuesdays.

Amie Lonas, the director of Franklin County Schools, said that at least two people have filed paperwork to speak against the group at a school board meeting on Feb. 13. In addition, Wimley and Ball have started a Facebook page calling for people to attend the school board meeting. Although the page was taken down when it became a heated debate forum over homosexuality.

Photo: WKRN