The Curious Case of School Districts Blocking Gay Rights Websites

by Michael Jones · 2009-05-19 13:21:00 UTC
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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.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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