Missouri School Removes Yearbook Quotes For Being Too Gay

Source –  Two gay high school students whose quotes were removed from their senior yearbook say they’re “disheartened and angry” by the “senseless censorship” behind the move.

Joey Slivinski and Thomas Swartz, who recently graduated from Kearney High School in Missouri, told KCTV they submitted their senior quotes for the yearbook on time just like their other classmates — only to realize that something was amiss when they cracked open the keepsake.

“Of course I dress well, I didn’t spend all that time in the closet for nothing,” Slivinski’s original quote read.Swartz, meanwhile, had submitted this: “If Harry Potter taught us anything, it’s that not one should have to live in the closet.”

“The only people I need protection from are the people directly involved with deleting my statement and infringing upon my civil rights,” Swartz wrote last week.

District officials said they were trying to “protect” students by removing the quotes but acknowledged their “mistake” in offending another group of students.

“In an effort to protect our students, quotes that could potentially offend another student or groups of students are not published,” the statement read. “It is the school’s practice to err on the side of caution. Doing so in this case had the unintentional consequence of offending the very students the practice was designed to protect. We sincerely apologize to those students.”

Good on these little Missouri bros. Here’s a piece of advice though; be more original. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great quotes, they’re just played out. Maybe play into current events, be a little more transparent. Something like “bet you did nazi this coming, I’m gay.”  You’re going to want to get their attention, they’ll be the ones to protect your first amendment rights. As soon as they finish washing the bear mace from their eyes they’re going to head over to Kearny HS to stand up for gay rights.

In all seriousness, it’s incredible to think that in 2017 this stuff is still happening. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. It was probably just careless oversight by an aged school administration but it’s still ridiculous. It’s to the point now where all you can do is laugh.

“In an effort to protect our students, quotes that could potentially offend another student or groups of students are not published,” the statement read. “Doing so in this case had the unintentional consequence of offending the very students the practice was designed to protect.”

Foot. In. Mouth. At least they apologized. I’m sure Joey and Timmy are over it. They probably never even cared in the first place. I’m actually surprised the school administration was able to pick out the devil speak. Look at this chicken scratch.

It looks like prison code.

I get that Missouri isn’t exactly a technology hub but you’d think they’d have moved past hand written notes. Even if they haven’t these two should’ve taken initiative and dressed it up a little. Use a gel pen, add some illustration, do something. If they weren’t dressed like Carson Kressley and Tim Gunn I would’ve questioned the whole story.