Gay High School Valedictorian Finally Gets To Give His Speech :)

[tampa24]

I'm sure that many of you have followed the story about the high school valedictorian Evan Young who achieved a 4.5 GPA. For any of you who aren't aware of his story, he prepared the customary valedictorian speech to give to his fellow graduating classmates. As is fairly common nowadays the school asked that he submit a draft of the speech in advance for approval. He did so. The principal found fault with several things in the speech and asked Evan to change or delete some things and then re-submit a copy of the edited speech. The principal especially objected to the part of the speech where Evan comes out to his class as being gay. Up to this point Evan had not yet come out to even his own family.

(Excerpts from Yahoo.com)

http://news.yahoo.com/controversial-reason-high-school-cancelled-valedictorian-speech-164016528.html

“My main theme is that you’re supposed to be respectful of people, even if you don’t agree with them,” Young told The Denver Post on Thursday. “I figured my gayness would be a very good way to address that.”

Young sent a copy of his speech to the school administrators, who returned it to him with requested changes, most of which Young said he made. But when it came to omitting his sexual orientation, Young drew the line.

“I’d told him I’m not going to remove the part where I say I’m gay, because I am. It’s important to me,” said Young.

Adding insult to injury, the principal also called Young’s parents to let them know about the problem with the speech, and in doing so outed the 18-year-old to his mother and father.
“My parents are very liberal. I think they were totally OK with it,” said Young. “But I was not OK with it.”

The administration’s unsympathetic treatment ultimately left Young speechless at the May 16 graduation. According to Young, he was only informed that his speech was canceled minutes before the ceremony, and he was further dismayed that the school declined to even mention his academic achievements during the commencement event.

The school board issued a statement Thursday, saying that it was well within its rights to censor Young’s speech in order to “to protect the solemnity of the evening and to preserve and protect the mission of the school,” adding that “references to personal matters of a sexual nature…are never appropriate for a speech at a graduation ceremony.”

The school’s attorney, Barry Arrington, added that “[Graduation] is not a time for a student to use his commencement speech to push his personal agenda on a captive audience.”

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Fortunately the organization Out Boulder offered to let him give his speech under their auspices. It has now reached a much wider audience than it would have if he had merely given it at the original ceremony.

Here is his speech. Since it may run a bit long for those of us with shorter attention spans (lol), you may want to start the video at the 3:00 mark.

 

[BSBJohnHenry]

Good for him times are a changin who are we to stand in the way of someones happiness!!

 

[johnny]

Thanks Tampa..For people who didn't see this on the internet or read about it. It is really worth the watch...Johnny...

 

[tampa24]

My pleasure Johnny. xo

I know that many of us learned of the story in the news. But I also try to keep in mind that we have members from countries all over the world who aren't aware of current events in the U.S. and therefore may need some background info to put a news story into context.

 

[peterh6308]

What a charming young man..

 

[tampa24]

What a charming young man..

Isn't he though? I have think back rather far now as to how I looked and acted at 18 y/o. lol He's charming and very sweet.

 

[BSBDrakeTyler]

There was a gay salutatorian in my graduation class & he had a memorable speech.

 

[tampa24]

There was a gay salutatorian in my graduation class & he had a memorable speech.

That's great!

 

[Ambivalent]

Tamps -

Thank you for posting this news story, and the accompanying speech. I hope you will understand - I heard it, and received it - with rather mixed emotions (which might surprise you, a little): as someone who has done the valedictory rounds, three or four times, myself.

These are my reservations, I suppose. (I guess I am kind of the "Russian judge" when it comes to this kind of stuff - having dedicated my life, more or less, to the art of public rhetoric.)

I thought the speech, generally speaking, was cute and sweet - but a little too clever, by half. My personal feeling is that (and I guess I am very old-fashioned, in this) I think a graduation speech is not the time to be teasing classmates or their parents, about their political views (however gently); or to be deprecating teachers about the ideas and potential learning they offered. Perhaps I am too influenced by my religious (and rural) upbringing, but, I think a valedictory address is an important address, delivered upon a solemn occasion: and that it should strive (always) to bring people together.

Which is not to say that one oughtn't tell JOKES, in a valedictory address. (I did, in all of mine.) I just didn't find Evan's jokes, all that funny, for the most part. (Though there is no question that they were all well-intentioned, and delivered in aid of excellent CAUSES, with which I MOSTLY AGREE.) I found them a little strained, nonetheless.

As well, I suppose I have to say that, I suppose I am enough of a 'small-c' conservative to imagine, that a good valedictory address, from high-school, or from university, ought to be less about ONESELF (though of course, one will employ one's own experiences and stories, in weaving the narrative) than about one's fellow-STUDENTS (one's friends) and their families and parents - in an attempt to make the moment meaningful, for THEM.

Perhaps I am just being "the Grinch", or raining on Evan's parade - but, to my ear, and taste, I found his speech a little self-centered, and even (by times) narcissistic. Perhaps (again) I am being impossibly old-fashioned, or somehow impossibly Canadian: but, I don't think that a valedictory address is the right time (or presents the right way) to "come out." My sense is, that coming-out is a deeply personal matter, and that the greater courage consists in coming out, PERSONALLY, one-on-one, to one's parents, siblings, and closest friends, and allowing THEM the grace (and space) to respond personally, to this knowledge.

At any rate, it is disappointing to me when a valedictory address, which (to my mind) ought to be devoted to one's fellow-students; to the academic formation which all of the class has just undergone (and, yes, I still DO believe that that experience is something very significant): is devoted primarily (or largely) to one's own personal feelings, or to one's own personal reflections. (I suppose I would be just as disappointed if a straight student were to dedicate a significant portion of such an address, to reflecting on his or her romantic awakening, or feelings: which ultimately can only be of interest to him or her, and not to the class, as a whole.) I find this rhetorical approach to be self-indulgent, in a way that is a little distasteful. And, had I been Evan's public-speaking coach, I surely would have advised him, against it.

All of that having been said (and all those reservations having been expressed):

*No doubt, Evan, as a young gay man, has for a long time felt himself crying out to express who he is, in some public way. I understand and empathize with this - I simply think he could have chosen a better way, and a better time. (And, mind you, this is all contingent upon his manner of expression, and the particular phrases, he chose.) *To me, the fact that he was going to let his parents and many of his best friends know about this, in a public speech not particularly suited to this purpose, shows at least a little lack of concern, for them.*

*I agree that the speech - even though I do not think it was a very good one - should not have been censored, by his school's administration. Free speech is the life-blood of any democracy. And, I know that, in many schools, having the highest grade-point-average is (of itself alone) considered the sole qualifying prerequisite, to the valedictorian's "spot", on the graduation agenda. If this is his school's policy, he ought not to have been denied, that spot. Notwithstanding his text.

*Last (and most importantly) I do long for the day when bright and talented young gay valedictorians (should they choose to do so) can calmly (and courteously) pay a brief but heartfelt thanks to their boyfriends or girlfriends (or even those ones they might WISH to have in the proximate or distant, future): without making the whole speech a reflection on their romantic hopes, and dreams.

Because, in the end (I think) if gay people want to be treated like all other people - - - we must speak and act with CONFIDENCE; engage in the work and struggles of the world in precisely the same way as our heterosexual brothers and sisters; and engage in all these selfsame struggles, without demanding special consideration or treatment for ourselves, as a class of people. Which, sadly (though to no great, disastrous, end): is precisely what I think Evan has (probably subconsciously) asked his audience, for himself.

"A" XOXOXOXOXOXO

 

[tampa24]

Hi Ambi,

This might come as a surprise to you but I do agree with many of your concerns about the speech. It doesn't bother me all that much though. He could have made it less about himself and more inclusive of the experience of the student body as a whole. Some of the jokes were a little strained. However, based on those I have seen myself or watched online, many jokes and stories in valedictory or salutary speeches take a few shots at teachers and administration. Some popular teachers receive teasing or effusive praise, while some other unpopular teachers, principals and staff get a few biting mentions that are met by the graduating class with guilty pleasure and no small satisfaction. Not every valedictorian is able to find that right balance without an attempt at jocular praise and honorable mention for a beloved teacher falling flat, or an attempt at calling out an unpopular member of staff coming across as too mean-spirited for a celebratory event.

In many of the things Evan said in his speech, I had to keep going back to where I was at mentally and emotionally as a student of 18 years old. The fact that he chose to come out in the speech is not something I find great fault with. I do think it was an uncomfortable risk he took in his belief that that would be a good time and place to come out to his family. I've seen it done before where a student comes out to his school. But then the family of the student was probably clued in well beforehand. Yet every person knows the internal dynamics of their own family better than strangers. So if he believed that his news would be well enough received by his own parents at an occasion like that, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Indeed when the principal turned out to be the one who probably flippantly outed their son to them by phone, Evan's family quickly rallied around him in support.

Again, I come back to the point that while there have been and will be better written valedictory speeches in the future that are less introspective and self-revelatory, and more inclusive of the greater graduating class...I find both Evan and his speech to be wistful and happy reminders of what it's like to be a happy 18 year old who is just leaving high school.

 

[Ambivalent]

Hey, Tamps -

Thanks for understanding where I was coming from. Absolutely, I think Evan is a nice kid, and I wish him nothing but the best. But I am looking forward to the day (which I think is already almost here, in many communities in North America) when "coming out" is no big deal. . . and most of a gay valedictorian's friends will already know he's gay, and love him for himself. . . so that the speech itself can focus on greater aspirations for the future.

Hugs,
"A" XOXOXOXO