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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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School Censors Tween's Report on Harvey Milk

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(Newser) – The ACLU is threatening to sue a California school district that restricted access to a 12-year-old’s report on gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. When the school learned of the subject, it delayed the presentation and sent letters to parents requiring permission slips for their children to attend. The presentation, attended by half the sixth-grade class, occurred during lunch.

The letter to parents outlined Milk’s gay bona fides “in order to respect the rights of all our students and their parents.” The school says permission slips are required for any classroom content that touches on “family life” or sex. “This is not sex education,” said an ACLU lawyer, who is demanding an apology and a presentation to the full class. “This is a presentation about Harvey Milk, a historical figure who happened to be gay.”

Harvey Milk in San Francisco's seventh annual Gay Freedom parade in 1978.
Harvey Milk in San Francisco's seventh annual Gay Freedom parade in 1978.   (AP Photo)
Gay rights activists in San Francisco.
Gay rights activists in San Francisco.   (AP Photo)
In this 1977 photo, San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, left, and Mayor George Moscone are shown in the mayor's office.
In this 1977 photo, San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, left, and Mayor George Moscone are shown in the mayor's office.   (AP Photo)
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12 comments
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RobN
May 21, 09 1:10 PM CDT
The school was going to get sued over this one way or the other. Reply
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+4
IN RESPONSE:
kirei_gaisuto
May 21, 09 1:31 PM CDT
My thoughts exactly. They were just trying to be extra cautious. Sometimes you can't win in a situation like this.
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+3
Rob
May 21, 09 1:44 PM CDT
He was not an activist that happened to be gay; he was an activist for gay rights. Whatever your personal bent on the issue, these descriptions do not equate. Reply
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
SBS
May 21, 09 4:48 PM CDT
I agree with Rob N. This was going to be a no win situation for the school.
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0
IN RESPONSE:
tmoore
May 21, 09 11:09 PM CDT
Being an activist for gay rights doesn't have anything to do with being gay.
Vote up! Vote down!
+1

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