Groups fighting proposed LGBT school rule

Update: Tuesday, Feb. 23:

A proposed non-discrimination and equal employment policy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and staff will be discussed at a special hearing of the Brevard County school board tonight, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the school board's office in Viera.

Various religious organizations in Brevard County have said that they will protest the policy, which they say threatens religious liberty.

One of these organizations, the Brevard Youth Network, has posted a notice on its website, brevardyouthnetwork.com, asking Brevard residents to protest the non-discrimination policy at tonight's school board meeting.

School board to discuss sexual-orientation policy

"The LGBT legal force is working overtime to radically change our community forever. They will be pushing our school board to make significant changes by passing their agenda. This is a stop/change your plans to come out TUESDAY NIGHT (February 23) type of an issue!"

The Liberty Counsel, a national litigation and advocacy organization which champions culturally conservative causes, has sent a letter to the school board stating its objections to the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities as protected groups in Brevard Public Schools.

The Counsel stated, "The District should refuse to add 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' to District nondiscrimination policies.  In rejecting these particular categories, the District should maintain the common-sense position that objective biological sex - male and female is (and should remain) the determining factor for access to gender-appropriate public school facilities and programs, not subjective mental 'identity' or beliefs that one is the opposite sex, or subjective sexual attractions."

In the conclusion of its letter, the Counsel added,  "If the District enacts these misguided changes, and instead violates the First Amendment rights of other students and teachers, Liberty Counsel stands prepared to advocate on their behalf against the District."

Original story:

Both before and since they successfully challenged Florida's ban on gay marriage, Daniel and Scott Wall-DeSousa of Palm Bay have fought to expand the civil rights of gay Americans like themselves.

Since October 2014, the couple has advocated a formal ban on anti-gay harassment in Brevard Public Schools, and now the school board is considering an expansion of the district's nondiscrimination policy to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students and staff.

This proposal will be discussed at a Tuesday evening school board meeting and will be voted on sometime afterwards to allow time for public comment.

Daniel Wall-DeSousa, a Heritage High science teacher, said the proposal is a welcome change.

"It really goes towards ensuring that every student has equal access to school activities," Daniel Wall-DeSousa said. "For the employees, it just prevents any discrimination regarding those two categories, gender identity and sexual orientation. ...  As a teacher, it's just important.  Times have moved forward; it's time to update those nondiscrimination clauses.  They really need to be updated.  We hope to live in a world where discrimination does not exist, but it would be nice if when discrimination does happen that the school district has a non-discrimination policy in place."

Transgender woman calls for equality in Palm Bay

Scott Wall-DeSousa said that as a former Brevard Public Schools student, he hoped to prevent current students from having the bullying experiences he had.

"I was an outwardly and openly gay man, and I had my struggle, and I did what was necessary, and eventually I graduated, but there could have been a better way," Scott Wall-DeSousa said.  "There could have been a way for a student like me not to be discriminated against."

School board member Amy Kneessy said the board wants to expand the school's non-discrimination policy to encourage bullied LGBT students to seek help, since studies have shown that students in that category suffer disproportionate rates of self-harm and social ostracism.

"Some of these kids, they don't realize they have a right not to be bullied," she said.  "Because it's not black and white and kids are black and white, those kids feel more vulnerable."

She continued, "Regardless of what's politically correct or not, it's not that road we're going down.  I want these kids to stay alive and to feel comfortable coming forward if they're really struggling."

Andy Ziegler, the school board chair, said that anti-gay bullying is not tolerated in Brevard Public Schools now, but that there was "no harm in clarifying" that this is the case.

Ziegler said that that the current lack of an official ban on anti-gay discrimination made LGBT people in Brevard Public Schools feel vulnerable, and that this was a problem that was easily solved by putting a ban on anti-gay discrimination on the books.

"It makes those who fall into those categories feel more comfortable and a little more secure," Ziegler said.

Contact Kowarski at 321-242-3640 or ikowarski@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @IlanaKowarski.