Dale Wise, the church's senior minister at Sullivan First Christian Church, said his church turned off its fax machine and took its website offline Tuesday because both were the target of hate mail and pornographic messages.For background, click headlines below of previous articles:
Gay Guy as Prom Queen: School and Media Love It
Two New York Boys Named Prom 'King & Queen'
Praise Lesbian Homecoming King, or You're a Bigot
ACLU Wins Lawsuit Against School Prom Banning Gay Couples
Also read Gay Clubs Required in Schools, Says White House as well as Gay Recruitment of Kids: Senators Join Obama
-- From "Indiana High Schoolers Push to Ban Gay Classmates from ‘Traditional’ Prom" by Kayla Webley, Time Magazine 2/11/13
The group met on Sunday at the town’s First Christian Church to discuss the possibility of holding a separate, segregated dance after the principal of Sullivan High, David Springer, told a local NBC affiliate that “Anybody can go to the prom” when asked to clarify whether same-sex couples would be allowed to walk in the event’s grand march, set to be held April 27.
According to WTWO, one member of the group is a local special-education teacher, Diana Medley, who told the NBC affiliate, “I believe [homosexuality] is a choice. I don’t believe they were born that way. I think that life circumstances made them that way.” She says she works with students who come out to her and cares about them, even though she doesn’t “agree with them.”
The students and parents formed a Facebook page, called 2013 Sullivan Traditional Prom, to support their cause. . . . Some of the comments defended the group’s mission (“We would like to stress to everyone that this is not a hate group. We do not hate anyone, we are not judging anyone. We are choosing to stand on the word of God”), while others urged supporters to stand together (“With all the media and stuff going on now, let us keep in mind that we are to be loving to all and to be in prayer so satan doesn’t get in to divide”).
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Plan for prom barring gays rocks small Indiana community" by Pamela Engel, Associated Press 2/15/13
[Comments in support of an independent prom by Diana] Medley, a special education teacher in a neighboring school district, have gone viral and sparked online campaigns to have her fired. A petition on Change.org calling for her dismissal had generated more than 17,500 signatures from as far away as the United Kingdom as of Thursday, and a Facebook page supporting a prom that includes all students had more than 27,000 likes.
"We are conservative around here. That's just the way of this town," said Nancy Woodard, 60, who owns the Hidden Treasure Exchange store. "In any town in this county, you'll find four or five churches no matter how small the town. ... The Bible is a big belief system here.
"Everybody has jumped on this little town. To me, there isn't any need for it," she said.
Sullivan High School Principal David Springer said talk of the "traditional" prom began in January, after a student began circulating a petition demanding that gays be allowed to participate in the grand march at Sullivan's April 27 prom. The "traditional" prom would not be sanctioned by the district and wouldn't be held at the school.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Ind. teacher draws fire for 'traditional' prom support" by Jill Disis, The Indianapolis Star 2/13/13
"It's never been done before here because nobody ever asked," Springer said of the same-sex couple. "We do allow two girls to walk out together," whether it be two friends or a couple.
Mark Baker, superintendent in Northeast School Corp., where Medley is employed, did not respond to calls or emails.
The school corporation did, however, release a statement in response to the original story.
"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," the statement reads in part. "The Northeast School Corporation employee that was interviewed was expressing her First Amendment rights.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Missouri district to allow same-sex couples at prom" posted at Kansas City Star 2/15/13
A southern Missouri school district has rescinded a policy that prohibited same-sex couples from attending prom. It happened a day after a national anti-discrimination group threatened to sue.
Scott County Central School District superintendent Alvin McFerren said Friday that the school board agreed to revise a district handbook policy that had been interpreted to prohibit same-sex dates. McFerren said the policy was adopted 10 to 15 years ago for an innocent reason and was never meant to discriminate.
The Southern Poverty Law Center on Thursday threatened legal action on behalf of Stacy Dawson, a male student who wanted to attend prom with his boyfriend but was told he couldn’t. McFerren said Dawson can now attend with whomever he chooses.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read 'Gay Rights' Winning, Loss of Religious Liberty Documented - Washington Post writer demonstrates it's a "zero sum" game: Winning homosexual 'rights' means Christians must lose freedom of religion.
