"F**king ridiculous": Gay 8th grader blasts school for perpetuating oppression during grad speech - LGBTQ Nation

A gay eighth grader in Kentucky gave a graduation speech after school administrators assigned a theme of acceptance. His original speech focused on recognizing trauma and oppression and on the idea that trauma does not have to define a person. He said school staff told him there was “a time and a place” for that message and that it was not positive enough for a graduation celebration. He revised the speech multiple times before approval came at the last minute. At the ceremony, he chose to speak directly, criticizing the school for failing to protect marginalized students and saying the school was built on racism, sexism, and homophobia.

"He told Wave News that school administrators assigned him the theme of "acceptance," and that his original speech was centered on "explaining that I see people who are going through trauma and going through oppression today." He told the outlet that both of his parents died from cancer when he was young and that he wanted people to know "the trauma that you face doesn't have to shape you." But he said in his speech that school staff told him there was "a time and a place" for that message and that it was not positive enough for a graduation celebration."

"He wrote several versions of his speech before the school finally approved one after a last-minute effort on the day of the ceremony. When he approached the podium, he decided to speak his mind instead. "Apparently, this school doesn't know better than to give an angry gay kid a microphone," Mattingly told the crowd, explaining that he had originally planned to give a speech about how his own trauma influenced him and about helping other marginalized communities."

""I had a speech ready to cheer on and encourage oppressed youth," he said, explaining that he was told it was "too controversial" and "too negative." He then began to criticize the school for its treatment of students who are members of oppressed groups. "This school was built on racism, sexism, and homophobia," he said, though he did not share details about why he felt that way."

Read at LGBTQ Nation