Anti-bullying assembly canceled because of gay speaker?

Mary — 30 Rock actor Maulik Pancholy was scheduled to run an empathy and anti-bullying assembly at Mountain View Middle School in Pennsylvania. Ahead of his appearance, the school board voted unanimously to cancel Pancholy's assembly, seemingly because he is gay. One board member said, "...he is proud of his lifestyle, and I don't think that should be imposed on our students." Trisha Comstock, a school district parent, was appalled by the decision. She started a petition to reinstate the middle school assembly. Join the Cumberland Valley School District parents in sending a clear message to the school board: "Everyone deserves respect regardless of their sexual orientation or identity." Reinstate Empathy and Anti-Bullying Assembly at Mountain View Middle School 2,986 have signed Trisha Comstock's petition. Let's get to 5,000! Sign now with a click As a member of the Cumberland Valley School District community, I am deeply saddened by the Cumberland Valley School Board's decision to cancel an assembly scheduled at Mountain View Middle School. The assembly was set to feature accomplished actor and author Maulik Pancholy who would present on empathy, anti-bullying, and the books he authored. This decision was made solely because he is openly gay with one board member stating, "...he is proud of his lifestyle, and I don't think that should be imposed on our students."  Being LGBTQ+ isn't a dirty little secret to protect our students from. To have someone with Maulik's life experiences would have been inspirational for our students. It is important that we teach our children about diversity and acceptance from an early age. According to a study by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), schools that promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity see better academic outcomes and lower rates of bullying. The cancellation of this assembly sends a harmful message to our students - that being different is something to be ashamed of or hidden away. We must challenge this narrative by reinstating the assembly with Maulik Pancholy. We call upon the Cumberland Valley School Board to reverse their decision and allow Mr. Pancholy's presentation on empathy, anti-bullying, and his books at Mountain View Middle School. By doing so, we can show our students that everyone deserves respect regardless of their sexual orientation or identity. Please sign this petition if you believe in promoting acceptance rather than discrimination within our education system. Sign now with a click Visit petition page Victories Every Day – 100% Funded by You Not beholden to politics or power brokers, Change.org is free for people everywhere to make change. Every day there are real victories for issues you care about, only possible because we are 100% funded by everyday people like you. Will you stand with us to protect the power of everyday people to make a difference? Support Change.org At Change.org, we believe in the voice of everyday people. Is there something that you want to change? Start a petition today The person (or organization) who is leading this petition is not affiliated with Change.org. Change.org is not responsible for the petition content. By clicking the sign now button, you authorize that you are Mary and you support this petition. If you'd like to ask others to sign the petition, you'll have a chance to do so after you sign it. Or, you can share this link. How useful was this email? 1 2 3 4 5 Not Useful Useful Unsubscribe from emails like this Unsubscribe from all Change.org emails Manage your email preferences  ·  Privacy policy We'd love to hear from you! Contact us through our help center. Change.org  ·  548 Market St #29993, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401, USA