ANNANDALE, Minn. — Today is the first day of June and that means it is the first day of Pride Month.
It began after a dark night in our history, on June 28, 1969, when New York Police raided the Stonewall Inn — a bar where the LGBTQ community went to safely.
The years after took that painful night's anniversary and re-purposed its memory.
On this day, in the western city of Annandale, dozens of students who identify as LGBTQ+, and their supporters, walked out of the high school.
Some of them are in a school group called Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) that recently created signs designating parts of the school as safe spaces. But the district says the signs may have to come down in favor of something more inclusive.
"School should be somewhere safe, where students have a support system in case they don't get one at home," said organizer and student Miya Anderson. "And as long as we don't stop fighting, we will get results for a safer, more inclusive environment."
District Superintendent Tim Prom says it supports the GSA, except when it comes to the signs its members put up around the school about six months ago.
Prom says the district attorneys have deemed the issue "political."
"They look at case law and their case law showed them that LGBTQ+ was a political topic," said Prom. "It's not a decision I made and that's something we rely on, those in that field to help us with those decisions and that's what we were told."
Superintendent Prom says the district is now using a consulting firm to instead create a sign he says supports all the students.
"We're in discussions of having an "All Are Welcome" or something like that, a signage that's all inclusive of all our student groups we represent here," said Prom. "We care deeply about our kids and their emotional state and where they’re at, so that alone makes it a sensitive topic."
He confirms the GSA can wear their t-shirts in school and fundraise like the other groups, but said it's against policy for teachers to post the signs. Some of them have put it in their classrooms to signify a safe space.
"By taking away the only support system and validation these people have is going to lead to lead to a massive mental health crisis in the LGBTQ+ teens in the district," said Anderson.
The students also read letters from some teachers, who wrote them anonymously, but still wanted to show their support. One in part read, "Our students are looking for answers in a world that seems uncertain of the questions. Today, the student's voice needs validation, value and, above all, support."
While Pride Month is just getting started, another school year is about to end, but the fight for acceptance among these kids, they say, will continue.
"What I ask of you today is to keep fighting for us until we get the recognition we deserve," said Anderson.
Superintendent Prom says while the process plays out, the signs the students are fighting for will not be taken down. And that they will continue to have meetings with all the parties involved, including the GSA.
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