with the author 30 locks Maulik Pancholy, an openly gay actor, has passed a unanimous vote by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education to cancel a lecture scheduled at a local middle school due to his “lifestyle.” I raised my voice after what happened.
Pancholy said he learned about the Cumberland Valley Board of Education’s decision through social media, saying he felt loved and accepted by underrepresented students in the district. He added that he wants people to know that he is
“When I talk about how the characters in my books feel different, I am struck by how many young people, regardless of their identity or background, want to share how they feel different too. I’m always surprised when people raise their hands,” Pancholy said in a statement to The Daily Beast, which also read in an Instagram clip. “That’s the power of books. They build empathy.
“Why is the school board so afraid of it?”
Pancholy was scheduled to speak about empathy, anti-bullying and his book. However, this plan was blocked at a public meeting on April 15th. Two board members raised concerns about his “lifestyle” and “activities”, suggesting he had ulterior motives beyond encouraging his children to love him.
During the meeting, one board member reportedly said, in part, “He is proud of his lifestyle and I don’t think he should impose that on students.”
The 8-0 board vote made national headlines, with school officials openly trying to protect preschoolers from Pancholy, the author of two popular books about life as a middle school student. Labeled as disgusting.
Parents called for the decision to be reversed, and a change.org petition had garnered 3,600 signatures by Thursday evening. Petition organizer Trisha Comstock said she was “deeply saddened” and “concerned” by the board’s decision. “The decision needs to be reversed,” she told The Daily Beast in a statement.
In an interview with todayComstock said what happened was “homophobic” and “causing real harm.”
The Cumberland Valley School District includes portions of rural and suburban central Pennsylvania. This area is much more conservative than the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.
Parents outraged after school board denies gay actor’s comments citing “lifestyle”
The school district did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast.
Mr Pancholy appears to be taking the high road for his role in the controversy, suggesting that it is the most vulnerable children in the district who are suffering the most.
“As a middle school student, I never saw myself represented in the stories around me,” he said in a statement. “I couldn’t find any books that featured a South Asian American or his LGBTQ+ characters. They didn’t exist.
“And years later, when I wanted to write my own novel, I still had trouble finding one. That’s why I wrote the book in the first place. Because to represent Because it is important.”
Read more at The Daily Beast.
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