The Curious Case of School Districts Blocking Gay Rights Websites

categories: LGBT Education, Marriage Equality, Nonprofit Profiles, Religion and LGBT Rights

Published May 19, 2009 @ 01:21PM PT

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Earlier this year we wrote about the Nashvillle, Tennessee school district, and how they were blocking access to certain Web sites within their public schools. Those certain Web sites weren't adult-oriented, pornographic or scandalous; rather, they were the Web sites for LGBT rights organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Marriage Equality USA and others. A school district blocking access to organizations working for equality and civil rights? That can't be a good thing.

The ACLU agrees. Today they announced a lawsuit against the Knox County Schools and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools for blocking students from accessing the Websites of organizations working for the rights of LGBT people. Public schools, after all, shouldn't be in the business of discriminating against LGBT people, or censoring information promoting equal rights from their students.

Here's some goods from the lawsuit:

Not only does defendants’ blocking policy discriminate on the basis of content in violation of the First Amendment, the policy further constitutes unlawful viewpoint discrimination. Under the defendants’ policy, students may access websites that promote anti-gay views and that advocate that persons should change their sexual orientation through so-called “reparative therapy,” but not the web sites of organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, which is one of the largest civil rights organizations in the United States working to achieve equality under the law for LGBT persons.

One of the worst parts about this injustice is that students can access Websites for radical and extreme anti-LGBT groups, like Peter LaBarbera's "Americans for Truth About Homosexuality," or the "National Organization for Marriage." But they can't access sites like the Human Rights Campaign or GLAAD, which offer information on anti-bullying campaigns, coming out, creating safe spaces, hate crimes, and the like.

In short, the twisted Tennessee policy prevents students from accessing information that can be beneficial to their safety. And it exposes students to right-wing hatred while denying access to sites that promote equality. Tennessee students deserve better.

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Comments (13)

This is disgusting! I bet every school in the country is homophobic!!

Posted by Michelle Papaycik on 05/19/2009 @ 02:00PM PT
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My school has done the same. They have blocked PFLAG, GLAAD, as well as a few other sites as "education.lifestyle" or "adult.lifestyle". DayofSilence.org was blocked as "adult.lifestyle". Yet, the AFA and KKK sites are not blocked.

I can tell you one thing, as president of the GSA next year, I am fighting back against that.

Posted by Amber Bauer on 05/19/2009 @ 02:12PM PT
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Thank God for young people like you, Amber! I wish there had been an alliance like this when I was in school. Good luck to you!

Posted by gilbert barrett on 05/19/2009 @ 03:09PM PT
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Amber, I totally amend you for standing up! =] its going to be rough road but remember stand up for your rights =] and there are so many people out there that will stand up and help you as well =] have you ever heard of Glesn? their very big on k-12 LGBT. I wish you the best of luck! and Dont let them discourage you in any way! =]

Posted by Brandon Richards on 05/20/2009 @ 11:20AM PT
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Yeah, that's one of the sites that they also blocked as "adult.lifestyle".

Last year they had these sites blocked as "gay/lesbian" but the "adult.lifestyle" or "education.lifestyle" brings it way too far.

Posted by Amber Bauer on 05/20/2009 @ 01:03PM PT
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I would like to point out that this is not ALWAYS done maliciously. My school was quite possibly the most gay friendly in the country at the time I was going, but when they switched to a new monitoring software PFLAG, GLAAD, GLSEN, etc were blocked. The school took immediate action when told, but it still took about two weeks and a completely customised design for the sites to be accessible again.

When more than one school is involved I tend to wonder whether the problem is really at the administrative level. A basic software issue seems the much more likely cause, particularly when the vast majority of schools in a state are using the same software and having the same problem.

Posted by Tobias Fangor on 05/19/2009 @ 02:24PM PT
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Beings how they were sent a letter on April 20th from the ACLU to devise a plan to rectify the issue (they were given until April 29 to respond) by the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year and have failed to respond, the ACLU filed suit yesterday, one month AFTER the original letter, it appears as though the school districts is complicit in the censorship of these sites.

Posted by Dave Hershey on 05/20/2009 @ 11:39AM PT
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UGH! I hate when I make typos like those in the above post, but I think you get the gist of what I was saying.

Posted by Dave Hershey on 05/20/2009 @ 11:41AM PT
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It's unfortunate that Knox County Schools and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools administrators have used their intolerance to block LGBT right websites. Although the message of the anti-LGBT websites are unjustified, blocking LGBT right websites such as the Human Rights Campaign is unjustified in that intolerance gains over equality. However, it's great that the ACLU has put a lawsuit against the intolerance of the school districts to make way for equality.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 05/19/2009 @ 06:01PM PT
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Yes, it is very disappointing that Knox County and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools administrators have deliberately focused on, against Equality and Equal Rights. I feel that it is very unjust not only to those students, but to the rest of United States of America. Not only should us as LGBT be fighting this but so should the people against us, maybe not for equalily but because this totally shows that schools aren't for learning? I mean really, I see this blocking happening in private school systems or even religious school settings but for the purpose of a public school system NO. The United States of America needs to take a stand on this to throw down that its not the right for school administration to appoint a veiw FOR these students. That school is about LEARNING, an EDUCATION so that they can LIVE their OWN life and make their OWN VIEWS! If anything this shows that Knox County and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools administrators are NOT focused on EDUCATING students for the BETTER world, the FUTURE. It shouldn't be about how they feel about this or what that should be or anything. It VIGOROUSLY DEMOLISHES the right of learning. I'm sorry I am a 19 year old thats almost through a Private College but over the years I've been through Public Schools, It seems that the focus of education is not there in Public Schools. Its focused on Them having control and Them selecting who grows better in the future, a wanting to be Dictatorship but whats best based on there feelings and beliefs. My Private School fights more for EQUALITY more then Public Schools. I think a Stand needs to be made by EVERYONE and the students themselves as well because its not right.

Posted by Brandon Richards on 05/20/2009 @ 10:47AM PT
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~~~~~~~~~Adding on~~~~~~

Schools Need To focus on No Bais and back to edcation and safe Havens for all students. Not Blocking them from the thriving right to learn.

Posted by Brandon Richards on 05/20/2009 @ 11:39AM PT
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Censorship is censorship. It hurts every ones free speech. Although I do not condone the gay life style or pornography, we all have freedom of choice, although our Government is doing everything possible to hinder free speech, we all must stand together to save our dwindling Rights of the Constitution of the United States.

Posted by Mickey Theade on 05/27/2009 @ 01:20PM PT
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I went to high school in the NIXON 1970s. We didn't have the internet, but we had dozens of openly gay/lesbian and trannie classmates - and they weren't mistreated. In fact, it was obvious that a lot of students envied their freedom.

Now, our schools are bastions of Left-wing Liberalism, and I'm hearing stories of homophobia, including administrators doing nothing when they see homophobic acts against students.

California - the most Liberal state - is the first to BAN Gay Marriage.

WTF ? ?

www.nrba.info

Posted by Bobby Steele on 05/28/2009 @ 12:12PM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.