MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) – A speech by a gay actor that was canceled due to “lifestyle” reasons has been resumed at a Pennsylvania school after residents spoke out.
The Cumberland Valley School District Board of Trustees voted 5-4 Wednesday night to allow gay children's book author Maulik Pancholy to speak out against bullying during a May 22 meeting at Mountain View Middle School. It passed with a majority vote. The board made its vote after hearing input from residents, including more than a dozen students.
The board unanimously canceled Pancholy's presentation on April 15 after board members expressed concerns about his activism and “lifestyle.” Some board members also said the district had instituted a policy of not holding overtly political events after coming under fire for hosting a rally for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. pointed out.
Some local residents argued that the cancellation was reckless and sent a particularly harmful message to the LGBTQ+ community, prompting Superintendent Mark Blanchard and other district leaders to send a letter to the board and faculty, prompting Pancholy to argued that his speech should have been allowed.
Education officials said they were not given a “real opportunity” by the school board to answer questions or provide guidance on the event, and emphasized the importance of treating everyone equally. He said that was the purpose.
Pancholy, 48, is an award-winning actor for roles in the TV shows “30 Rock'' and “Weeds,'' as well as the voice of Baljeet in the Disney animated series “Phineas and Ferb.'' He also writes children's books and was appointed by then-President Barack Obama to the President's Advisory Council on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2014, where he co-founded the Campaign to Combat AAPI Bullying. did.
Pancholy's appearance was scheduled by the school's instructional team, which annually selects authors who present “unique educational experiences to students,” according to the district.
At the April 15 meeting, school board members said they didn't know what Mr. Pancholy would say, but one member said Mr. Pancholy “didn't want to take the risk” it might entail. he said.
“When you research this guy, he labels himself an activist,” Bud Schaffner said, according to PennLive. “He takes pride in his lifestyle, and I don't think that should be forced on his students at any age.”
The Associated Press emailed Mr. Pancholy's spokesperson on Thursday seeking comment on the board's decision to withdraw.
In a statement posted on social media after the board's first vote, Pancholy said that as a middle school student, she never saw South Asian American or LGBTQ+ characters represented in stories. He said the featured book “didn't exist.” Years later, when he started writing his own novels, he still had trouble finding them, he said.
“That's why I wrote the book in the first place,” Pancholy writes. “Because representation is important.”
Pancholy said her school visits were “to let all young people know that they are seen.” To let them know they are important. ”
Associated Press