Lightspeed Systems is an internet filtration system used at Metea that prevents students from accessing inappropriate information while at school. Lightspeed Systems bans the usual, basically anything to do with pornography or swear words. However, also banned is the word, “gay.”

For instance, if a student searched “gay marriage activists,” it would be regarded as an inappropriate search. The search “straight marriage activists” is perfectly fine. It could just be an accident, as the word “gay” is often used as an insult and the word “straight” is not. Upon further research, a student finds that the words, “bisexual,” “lesbian,” and “queer” are also considered inappropriate for school browsing.

While not outright condemning those who live with a non-heteronormative identity, the filtration system’s ban on these words is implying that identifying as gay, bisexual, lesbian, or queer is “not acceptable.”

It could be argued that sexuality in general is an inappropriate search option during school hours. If that was the case, then the term “sexuality” would be banned. It is not banned.

More “obscure” identifications (such as pansexual, transgender, asexual, omnisexual) seem to be deemed acceptable. This is most likely a case of a lack of education on these other identifications, among others.

Furthermore, why is talking about sexuality and non-heteronormativity such a taboo in a school setting? The point of school is learning: about the world, humankind, and yourself. How can we as a species move forward if we continue to ignore the difficult subjects in the place in which we learn?

At Metea we have a beacon of hope. Advanced Health is an option for students, but it’s still only a start. We need gender studies, ethnicity/race studies, and sexuality studies. Not meaning the school should administer “the sex talk,” but that identification in gender and sexuality plagues adolescence, primarily due to ignorance. The people who bully and create problems for the people who don’t fit the bill of “average” are the people who are, by far, the most uneducated. As a school teaching young minds to change the world, why aren’t some of the most prevalent issues discussed? It is not any single person’s fault.

The school is (obviously) not to blame for homophobia; this is a global issue that almost all humans struggle with. However, we can make our mark in modern society by telling gay, lesbian, and queer students they are accepted within these school walls.

By Jenna Keeney