Gay rights group
demands apology
over yearbook flap
by Jonathan Casiano,
nj.com from the Web, June 24, 2007
Newark, NJ June 23 -- The
gay-rights advocacy group Garden State Equality is demanding an apology from
Newark School Superintendent Marion Bolden for ordering her staff to black out a
picture of a gay couple kissing before distributing yearbooks to students at
East Side High School.
Calling the directive both homophobic and unlawful, Garden State Equality chair
Steven Goldstein said the school should also redistribute a new batch on
uncensored yearbooks at the district's expense.
"This action by the school district will have an unspeakably vile chilling
effect on other gay and lesbian students coming out," Goldstein said. "Her
trying to erase a student and his boyfriend is a metaphor of her trying to erase
the gay and lesbian community out of Newark and its school system. It's
wrong and it's ridiculous."
The photograph in question features East Side High graduating senior Andre
Jackson kissing his boyfriend David Escobales, of Allentown, Pa., on the lips.
It was among several photos printed on a special page paid for by Jackson to
commemorate his high school experience, at a cost of $150 above the book's $85
sale price.
Bolden, in a story that appeared in today's Star-Ledger, said the photo was
deemed "illicit" and blacked out with magic marker by school staff before the
yearbooks were distributed at Thursday's graduating seniors banquet. She
said school officials also considered tearing out Jackson's page entirely, but
decided that blacking out the photo would minimize damage to the yearbook.
Though the school did set parameters for yearbook photos to avoid explicit
content, several photos of heterosexual students kissing were included.
Goldstein said he has received more than 300 phone calls from outraged members
of the state's gay community since the story first appeared on nj.com Friday
night.
School officials could not be reached today for comment.
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