Playbill: After students and community members rallied against a Texas school district's decision to cancel a high school's spring production of The Laramie Project, the Keller Independent School District has elected to reverse the decision, allowing the production to continue as planned.
5 comments:
I'm really glad that community action had such a positive effect. Commonly, we see people in positions of power wield this power over others instead of using it for a common benefit. Art is one of those amazing common benefits that can help you realize experiences that are not your own. It's really good to see that this school district isn't completely lost, but I'm sure that there will be an outcry from some parents who do not want anyone to see a depiction of a life experience that does not apply to them. I want to speculate on the motives of the original banning, not just the extrinsic public relations motives, but the internal emotion that drove the decision to ban the show in the first place. Is it out of fear or a genuine desire to "protect" children? These are the kinds of questions to ask to explore why someone thinks the way that they do. Without a sense of understanding, there can't be any progress.
The decision by the Keller Independent School District to reverse its cancellation of The Laramie Project at Timber Creek High School is a real testament to the power of student and community activism. It's incredibly heartening to see such a strong response against the initial decision to cancel this important play, which tackles the serious issues of homophobia and hate crimes through the tragic story of Matthew Shepard. This play is not just a piece of theatre. It's a crucial conversation starter about tolerance, acceptance, and the importance of standing against hate in any form. Seeing over 4,000 people rallying together, signing petitions, and making their voices heard at school board meetings shows the strength of community and the impact it can have when fighting for what's right. It's a reminder that when people come together for a cause they believe in, real change can happen. As we move forward, let's hope this moment serves as a catalyst for more inclusive and understanding environments within our schools and communities.
So fun fact, this actually happens to be in a neighboring school district to mine back at home. It is absurd that this is the first I heard about this, through an article, in a class in Pennsylvania. Oddly the first thing I thought when I saw this wasn’t outrage but, wow I didn’t know Keller did plays. It is so sad that this seems expected from me. The DFW suburb that I live in is truly a strange place as you would be hard-pressed to find any outward expression of hate but rather people only act in ways that I call, by the book. For lack of a better word, PTA moms, are wild when it comes to public change, rules, or regulations that are in any way democratic, however, in public if gay people were to be holding hands or visible, they would smile and wave at them. The other thing with DFW school districts is they avoid conflict. So it is no surprise to me that when there was outrage at the show being put on, they canceled it, and when there was outrage at that, they allowed the show. As much as I want to see the allowing of The Laramie Project as a good sign for LGBTQ students in the DFW area I can't help but think it won't do much.
The recent uptick in censoring of LGBTQ+ issues in schools across the country is terrifying, especially when it is also coming with bills, laws, and school policies that even more directly harm queer students. By not allowing productions like The Laramie Project, they are forcing students to hide who they are, allowing for the ostracization of openly queer students, and sending the message that these students don’t belong. It’s reassuring to hear that even if it’s only in one case, the community is standing up against these backwards policies. One of the points of art is to push the boundaries and open people’s minds. It is vitally important that art continues to do this but this can only happen if people like this continue to speak out and stand up against people who try to prevent art from being performed. I am hopeful that this case is indicative of a future where more people stand up.
It breaks my heart that this is still happening. I was in this exact situation two years ago when my high school tried to do the laramie project but we were denied by the school. We unfortunately had no ground to stand on and could not fight back which was heartbreaking. This is also the same high school that is actively trying to get rid of the library because of book bans and other issues surrounding the topics of the LGBTQ+ community. I am glad to see the reversal of the decision to cancel the play. It is a glimmer of hope when so many schools are banning certain shows and canceling shows because of audience or community lashback. I agree that by canceling a show like the laramie project it shows that LGBTG stories are unwelcome. It is the strongest way to send that message indirectly and I get so frustrated when I see it happen.
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