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Gay And God T-Shirts Clash At Area High School
Gay Tolerance Group, Christian Group Wear Opposing T-Shirts
POSTED: 1:02 pm CDT April 19, 2005
UPDATED: 2:16 pm CDT April 19, 2005
CHICAGO -- Several students at a suburban high school wore contrasting T-shirts Tuesday in support of and against gay tolerance, but some students and school officials had differing views on whether it created a problem.
A group of students organized a campaign that sold more than 200 T-shirts at Homewood-Flossmoor High School that say, "Gay? Fine By Me." The shirts were designed to promote tolerance and acceptance and safety at the school and the idea was for the students to wear the shirts on Tuesday.
But a group of Christian students also made their own T-shirts with the help of several churches in the community. The T-shirt reads on the front, "Crimes Committed Against God," and on the back referenced the Ten Commandments.
NBC 5's Kim Vatis reported that both groups of students wore their T-shirts to class Tuesday, including some students who wore homemade shirts that read "It's Not OK To Be Gay."
School spokesman David Thieman said the T-shirts did not create any problems.
"The day is off to a normal school. We're not expecting to have any major issues or disruptions. H.F. High School is a three-time blue ribbon award-winning school and we've been recognized nationally because we are diverse," Thieman said.
There were no visible signs of conflict outside the school, Vatis reported, and security officers were posted on the campus. Students who tried to speak with the media were guided away, Vatis reported.
Vatis spoke with two staff members of the student newspaper, Voyager, who gave a much different account of the scene inside the school.
"There was pretty much chaos in my first class -- students wearing the God T-shirts and students wearing the 'Gay Fine By Me' T-shirts," student Joe Maloney said. "Students (were) arguing with each other about the justification for wearing the T-shirts."
"People who had gotten along in the past, and seeing each other in these different shirts saying, 'What's wrong with me? Do you have a problem with me?" student Sara McKee said.
But school officials maintained that any disruptions would not be tolerated.
"Should there be a disruption we will immediately take the appropriate action to remedy it, but so far, normal school day, business as usual," Thieman said.
Members of the Christian group said their campaign wasn't in opposition to the other campaign, but was instead a promotion of their own beliefs.
Gay Tolerance Group, Christian Group Wear Opposing T-Shirts
POSTED: 1:02 pm CDT April 19, 2005
UPDATED: 2:16 pm CDT April 19, 2005
CHICAGO -- Several students at a suburban high school wore contrasting T-shirts Tuesday in support of and against gay tolerance, but some students and school officials had differing views on whether it created a problem.
A group of students organized a campaign that sold more than 200 T-shirts at Homewood-Flossmoor High School that say, "Gay? Fine By Me." The shirts were designed to promote tolerance and acceptance and safety at the school and the idea was for the students to wear the shirts on Tuesday.
But a group of Christian students also made their own T-shirts with the help of several churches in the community. The T-shirt reads on the front, "Crimes Committed Against God," and on the back referenced the Ten Commandments.
NBC 5's Kim Vatis reported that both groups of students wore their T-shirts to class Tuesday, including some students who wore homemade shirts that read "It's Not OK To Be Gay."
School spokesman David Thieman said the T-shirts did not create any problems.
"The day is off to a normal school. We're not expecting to have any major issues or disruptions. H.F. High School is a three-time blue ribbon award-winning school and we've been recognized nationally because we are diverse," Thieman said.
There were no visible signs of conflict outside the school, Vatis reported, and security officers were posted on the campus. Students who tried to speak with the media were guided away, Vatis reported.
Vatis spoke with two staff members of the student newspaper, Voyager, who gave a much different account of the scene inside the school.
"There was pretty much chaos in my first class -- students wearing the God T-shirts and students wearing the 'Gay Fine By Me' T-shirts," student Joe Maloney said. "Students (were) arguing with each other about the justification for wearing the T-shirts."
"People who had gotten along in the past, and seeing each other in these different shirts saying, 'What's wrong with me? Do you have a problem with me?" student Sara McKee said.
But school officials maintained that any disruptions would not be tolerated.
"Should there be a disruption we will immediately take the appropriate action to remedy it, but so far, normal school day, business as usual," Thieman said.
Members of the Christian group said their campaign wasn't in opposition to the other campaign, but was instead a promotion of their own beliefs.
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. Ditto every word of this post. Also, apparently they've forgotten that judging whether or not being gay is okay is something that, according to their religion that they follow, should be left up to God, and not them. 
).
