Tag: Diana Medley

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Indiana: Anti-gay teacher was “expressing her First Amendment rights”

Superintendent Mark A. Baker released a statement Tuesday distancing the Northeast School Corporation from Diana Medley’s anti-gay statements but defending her free speech:

“I would like to clearly state the Northeast School Corporation has never denied any student the right to attend prom or any other Northeast School Corporation sponsored event due to their race, gender, or sexual orientation. Furthermore, the Northeast School Corporation has never denied any student access to any events sponsored by Northeast School Corporation. This includes sports, plays, musicals and any other extra-curricular activities.

In regards to the story that WTWO aired on February 10, 2013, the Northeast School Corporation employee that was interviewed was expressing her First Amendment rights. The views expressed are not the views of the Northeast School Corporation and/or the Board of Education.

These comments were expressed during a Sunday community meeting at a local church and at no time was she representing the Northeast School Corporation. The teacher was participating in a meeting with her local church congregation.

I’d like to point out that, yes, Ms. Medley does have a right to express her anti-gay speech. Just as I have a right to point out that it’s hurtful to her students and bigoted.

Free speech.

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An open letter to Diana Medley of Indiana

Excellent open letter from J. Patrick Redmond to Diana Medley of Indiana.

J. Patrick’s letter was prompted by Ms. Medley’s statement of support for students in Indiana who want to hold a “gays excluded” prom this year at Sullivan High School.  When asked, Medley responded to a reporter that she believes gay people have no purpose in life, and agrees that anti-gay parents and students should create a separate, “traditional” prom that would ban gay students from attending.

J. Patrick is also a teacher born in Indiana.  Here’s an excerpt from J. Patrick’s open letter:

“What you have done, Ms. Medley, by announcing to our community that “gays have no purpose” is scar and destroy the self-worth of countless Wabash Valley LGBT teens who, by whatever means, heard your hateful and vitriolic words. You are not representative of Christianity. You are not representative of Christ’s message. You are certainly not representative of love. And you are not representative of those Hoosiers that live near you –the ones that love thy gay neighbor and love me.”

Thank you J. Patrick for writing what so many of us in the LGBT community feel. We do have purpose. We do count.

Ms. Medley, thank you for revealing YOUR purpose of exclusion and judgement. Life is clearer when we can see things in the light of day. And now we can see you for who you are. My best thoughts go out to your students.

Read the rest of J. Patrick’s letter here.