Gay 30 Rock actor Maulik Pancholy canceled from anti-bullying speech over ‘lifestyle’ concerns

• The Cumberland Valley School District Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to cancel the lecture at Mountain View Middle School.

A Pennsylvania school board has reportedly canceled an anti-bullying lecture by 30 Rock actor Maulik Pancholy because of his sexual orientation.

The Cumberland Valley School District Board of Education on Monday canceled a talk by openly gay Pancholy at Mountain View Middle School, citing concerns about his “lifestyle” and activities. was unanimously resolved.

Mr. Pancholy, 48, who played Alec Baldwin’s assistant on NBC’s “30 Rock,” has written many books, including a book about a gay Indian-American boy forced to deal with bullying in a small town. I am writing a children’s book.

Some board members expressed concerns, while others pointed to the district’s policy of not hosting overtly political events, news outlets reported. The policy was enacted after the district was criticized for hosting a rally for Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Cumberland County said Pancholy’s attendance at the school was scheduled by the school’s instructional team, which introduces “unique educational experiences to students” each year, according to the district. The authors are said to be selecting artists who will

Discussing his appearance at Monday night’s meeting, school board members said they were unsure what Pancholy’s presentation would be about, but one board member said Pancholy was not aware of the “risks” that could come with it. I don’t want to bear the brunt of this.”

“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.”

Board member Kelly Pottiger, who is also a member of the right-wing group Mamas for Liberty, said: “Again, this is not discriminatory against his lifestyle, it’s his choice, but it’s not about… He is the one who is speaking.”

“He said that’s not the subject, but that’s the subject of his book.”

The board’s vote drew criticism from several parents, students and community members who called the decision “homophobic.” Some people have started an online petition calling for Pancholi to be reinstated.

In a statement posted on social media, Pancholy said that when she was in middle school, she never saw herself represented in stories and books that featured South Asian American or LGBTQ+ characters. “It didn’t exist,” he said. 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 visit was “to let all young people know they are seen.” To let them know they are important. ”

When he talks about how his character feels “different,” he always notes that many kids with different identities and backgrounds want to share that they too feel different. He said he was surprised.

“That’s the power of books: They build empathy,” Pancholy wrote. “Why is the school board so afraid of it?”