Temecula High School Students Stage Walkout

Students staged a walkout at Great Oak High School in Temecula, California after the school enacted a policy that only the United States flag and the California flag could be displayed on campus, and all others were prohibited.

Though this policy is not explicitly anti-LGBTQ+, many students say that it is clear what the intent behind the policy was after hearing comments from supporters of the policy. ABC7 reports that supporters of the policy made statements such as “(Pride flags) represent the enemy and the devil,” and, “It makes me so upset to go to my child’s school and see a rainbow flag on the wall.”.

Prior to the walkout, the school sent out an email saying that anyone participating would be punished—but there was still a turnout of over 100 students and parents who showed support for the community and stood against the school’s new policy. There was also vitriolic resistance to the walkout—ABC7 spoke to Moxxie Childs, a student who was part of the protest, who said “There’s a lot of support, but also a lot of hate. People yelling things, yelling slurs. Which is really frustrating at a place that’s supposed to be safe like a school.” 

ABC7 reports that Great Oak High School board president Joseph Komrosky said in reference to the school’s decision that it was “the law” to have “the standard American flag in every classroom and say the pledge (of allegiance),” which is a conservative dog whistle in and of itself. Over the past several years, there has been an increasing conservative opposition to anything referencing the LGBTQ+ community in schools, and this has only ramped up as highly publicized conservative Florida governor Ron DeSantis launched his campaign against the teaching of LGBTQ+ course material in schools.

Even in states that are perceived as “liberal,” such as California, it is clear that anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has continued to persist and become both more overt and more insidious in our educational and social sectors.