Recently, an incident of vandalism occurred during a Pride Spirit Day event at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts. Reports indicate that students destroyed rainbow decorations and expressed intolerance through chants and actions. Here’s the full story.
Young Students Vandalize Pride Day Celebrations
During the Pride Spirit Day event, eighth-grade students at Marshall Simonds Middle School not only vandalized rainbow decorations, but also chanted that their pronouns were “USA” and donned red, white, and blue colors representing the American flag.
Community Members Voiced Their Concerns
Following the incident, concerned parents, allies, and community members voiced their concerns at the Burlington Select Board meeting.
Nancy Bonassera, the co-chair of the Burlington Equity Coalition, emphasized that these acts of intolerance and homophobia are unacceptable and affect the entire community.
This Needs to Stop
The coalition called for town leadership to take a proactive stand against hate, addressing the issue directly and unequivocally.
Bonassera said, “We believe that without any direct and concrete action, these incidents will occur again and increase in severity.”
Committee Members Expressed Their Disappointment
Members of the community, including former school committee member Carl Foss, expressed disappointment and called for stronger measures to address the undercurrents of intolerance in Burlington.
Foss added, “I thought Burlington was a safer place than Texas or Florida. Obviously, I was wrong.”
Foss stated that the town and school administrations should address the issue more directly and firmly, acknowledging that no community is immune to incidents of intolerance.
Disciplinary Actions Were Not Taken
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During a Burlington School Committee meeting, chairwoman Martha Simon condemned the incident but refrained from specifying disciplinary actions due to the age of the offending students.
However, parents and allies stressed the importance of taking a stronger stance against homophobic behavior.
Jessika Dubay-Dang, one of the parents, expressed concerns that failing to address the issue more assertively could lead to more tragic consequences in the future.
The Governor Was Disappointed
One of the first two gay governors in the US, Governor Maura Healey, expressed disappointment about the situation and claimed the school is aggressively addressing the issue.
She continued by saying it was sad that it happened during a month dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and in a state like Massachusetts that works to guarantee that “members of the LGBTQ+ community, young and old, are seen, are heard, are respected and will be cared for and protected.”
Several online users also shared their concerns about the situation saying that the parents of the students were the problem here.
The post Students Vandalize Pride Day Decorations, Proclaim ‘USA’ as Their Pronouns in Controversial Protest first appeared on Pulse of Pride
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Jo Panuwat D. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
