Letter of the day: Make tolerance part of the curriculum

Last update: April 9, 2008 - 4:14 PM

In response to the April 4 letter "School's inaction led to student's murder," in which the writer implies that if the school required young Larry King to suppress his identity at school, he'd be alive today: As a representative of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied community, OutFront Minnesota believes the school should have stopped other students from tormenting Larry and taught respect for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Schools are not just academic institutions but powerful social environments in which cultural beliefs are reinforced -- in this case -- at the expense of Larry King's life. Why was the cost of expressing his identity so high? And who gets to decide which identities are more valuable than others?

The factors that led to Larry's murder are precisely why OutFront Minnesota provides support to gay-straight alliances (including at Maple Grove High School) to be fully authorized school groups. It's why we are part of the Minnesota School OUTreach Coalition, which works to create safe schools for all students. It's why OutFront Minnesota accepts hundreds of invitations each year to speak and train about respecting our diverse population at schools, police academies, social-service agencies, workplaces and places of worship.

This is why OutFront Minnesota is at the forefront of the effort to eliminate homophobia and transform our culture into a dynamic, inclusive and humane place for all of us to live.

MICHAEL ROBINS, CHAIRMAN, AND Jane Eastwood, vice chairwoman,

OutFront Minnesota, Minneapolis

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