2003/2004
"PFHS Hates Fags"
by Vorfeed
It was the biggest and most controversial story involving Post Falls High School last year; in addition to stories being published in our town's own small newspaper, the Post Falls Press, it gained even more attention in a front-page story in the larger The Idaho Spokesman-Review. Despite all this exposure, our own school paper, The Trojan Times, did not report on the story. One would think that the media source closest to the controversy would have something to say on the subject, yet nothing was published.
In the winter of 2003/2004, a junior by the name of Ryan Myers dropped out of school. Unlike many other dropouts, Ryan did not leave because he was lazy and did not want to put up with classwork. He dropped out because he, an openly gay student, was constantly harassed by his peers, and the school did nothing to help him. The administration told him that if he wanted people to treat him differently, he should change the way he dresses, speaks, and lives his life in general. When confronted by the press, the school's administrators spouted off to reporters a general statement about the school's bullying policy.
This did absolutely nothing to help Ryan. He was verbally and physically assaulted by other students, yet no one was suspended or punished in the least. The administration and faculty turned a cold shoulder as a student was being openly bullied, and as a result, Ryan Myers dropped out of school to escape the torture he had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Instead of graduating with his class, Ryan must pursue his GED.
Ryan is not alone. According to a 1989 study by the US Department of Health and Human services, 28 percent of homosexual students in the study dropped out of school as a result of harassment from their peers. Eighty percent of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth report having social, emotional, and cognitive isolation problems. According to a 1993 report from the Massachusetts Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, 97 percent of students in public high schools regularly hear homophobic remarks from peers. Fifty-three percent have heard homophobic remarks made by school staff. Researchers in another study found that depression is four to five times more severe in homosexual youth than in their heterosexual peers (1).
Is it the goal of the school district to discourage individuality and free thought? Ryan's clothing, speech, and behavior did absolutely nothing to harm or disrupt others and the educational process; there was no credible reason for him to change himself. The message our school is sending to students who are "different" is "change or get out."
Of course, none of this would have even been an issue in the first place if it were not for the students who picked on Ryan. By abusing him, they only confirmed their homophobic, insecure, insensitive beliefs. Even after Ryan had left, there were students badmouthing him. Have they no sympathy? No respect for others? It seems the general position on homosexuals at PFHS is "Lesbians are awesome, unless they are ugly. Gay guys are disgusting." Most of the disapproval is shown by heterosexual males; are they simply insecure in their own sexuality? Did they feel jealous because Ryan happened to have more female friends than they?
The hatred for homosexuals at our school is inflamed by the religious beliefs of many students and other members of the community. The vast majority of Post Falls residents are Christian, and it's quite obvious most Christians consider homosexuality to be an abomination. One must wonder what discussions went on in our local churches the Sunday after Ryan's story broke. Did the students who teased Ryan think that they had the right to do it because their religion denounces his lifestyle? Perhaps they believed that if they attacked him, they would be rewarded? Religious beliefs were most likely at work when the school's administration refused to help Ryan. After all, our principal has openly professed that he is Catholic, and as a result, believes that only Catholicism is the right religion. Catholics are fervently against homosexuality... Put two and two together, and there is controversy. As of spring 2004, the school library's strict Internet filters did not block hateful anti-gay sites, the most notorious being Reverend Fred Phelps' "God Hates Fags" page.
The newly-formed Human Rights Organization is a step towards tolerance, but so far has not been successful in making a difference at our school. Even if there are hundreds of students who support gay rights, there are hundreds more who do not, and their opinions are most likely not going to change. Those who are supposed to be our biggest role models- the president and his administration -claim to support gay rights while at the same time attempting to take them away. A great number of students support these ignorant and hypocritical policies.
Refreshingly, there are some Christians in town who support Ryan. Six-year-old Alyssa Shennar of Post Falls wrote the Coeur d'Alene Press with this message:
"My name is Alyssa. I am 6. It makes me sad that kids are being mean to Ryan Myers because he is not like them. Jesus loves everyone" (2).
While we may not know the exact reasons why, it is clear that something went horribly wrong. From the censorship within our own school to the unwillingness of the school district to help a troubled student, the tragic story of Ryan Myers is a dirty stain on the integrity of Post Falls High School. Mr. Billetz and the other administrators may try to make everyone forget about what happened, but we can assure them that a great number of us, even those who never knew Ryan, will not forget nor forgive them for their negligence.
"We are all people, we all hunger, we all thirst, and we all feel most importantly." -Ryan Myers (3)
Sources
1) http://www.adea.org/gsa/statistics.html
2) http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2004/01/15/editorials/letters/letter02.txt
3) http://www.kxly.com/common/getStory.asp?id=33628