Colorado Media Newsroom
June 5th, 2015, 01:44 PM
From The Denver Post:
A Colorado high school valedictorian, Evan Young, recently was banned from giving his graduation speech at Twin Peaks Charter Academy High School when it was discovered the Longmont teen was going to come out at the end of his talk. (The principal not only required him to edit the speech, which the student declined to do, but “outed” Young to his parents in a phone call. Young later gave the speech in full at a private home in an event sponsored by the nonprofit Out Boulder.)
Larry Wilmore to the rescue: This week Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show” stepped in, flew Young out to the studio and gave him a much bigger platform from which to give his speech. He didn’t have to edit out the gay part, but he did have to retract the bit about his “hero” Stephen Colbert.
In the segment labeled “Larry Wilmore’s School for Genius-Ass Kids,” Young gets a huge positive response from the studio audience.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis has issued a protest of the move to the school superintendent.
More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2015/06/05/co-valedictorian-gives-banned-speech-on-the-nightly-show/22603/)
A Colorado high school valedictorian, Evan Young, recently was banned from giving his graduation speech at Twin Peaks Charter Academy High School when it was discovered the Longmont teen was going to come out at the end of his talk. (The principal not only required him to edit the speech, which the student declined to do, but “outed” Young to his parents in a phone call. Young later gave the speech in full at a private home in an event sponsored by the nonprofit Out Boulder.)
Larry Wilmore to the rescue: This week Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show” stepped in, flew Young out to the studio and gave him a much bigger platform from which to give his speech. He didn’t have to edit out the gay part, but he did have to retract the bit about his “hero” Stephen Colbert.
In the segment labeled “Larry Wilmore’s School for Genius-Ass Kids,” Young gets a huge positive response from the studio audience.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis has issued a protest of the move to the school superintendent.
More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2015/06/05/co-valedictorian-gives-banned-speech-on-the-nightly-show/22603/)