Gay News from London

Gay Straight Alliance teen jeered by school assembly

Kerry Pacer, 16, walked down the aisle of a packed high school gymnasium in Gainesville to a chorus of boos. Leading the school's Gay-Straight Alliance. "Nobody tried to stop them. Nobody came to my defense," she said recalling the incident at the "Sweetheart Assembly," a school pageant held every year around Valentine's Day in which clubs select a member to represent them. The ruckus began when she was given a rose by a female friend before an auditorium filled with pupils, faculty and administrators, Pacer said. Her supporters began to cheer, but were quickly drowned out. The ACLU may get involved. "These children have equal access to the school's resources and meeting times. We are watching this situation very closely," said the ACLU's Debbie Seagraves. [Date: 14-Feb-05 ]