Let Newberg's intolerance be a warning for Oregon: It can happen here
In September 2021, the Newberg School Board voted to remove all rainbow and Black Lives Matter banners under the pretense these symbols were “divisive.” Uproar ensued and the board later amended the language to all “political” symbols, with ironic exemptions for the United States and Oregon flags (the U.S. flag is inherently a political symbol). This became national news but has since dropped off the radar.
It shouldn’t. Fallout from that horrible decision is still settling.
Since that September, three board members who support marginalized kids have resigned, citing harassment and a toxic environment. The most recent occurred a couple of weeks ago on June 27.
Honestly, I don’t blame them. When people scream “groomer” at you enough and send you threatening messages, it gets old fast. I know. But I do hope they continue to advocate for marginalized communities because we need them. The kids need them.
As I have written numerous times in this space, more than 300 anti-LGBTQIA measures exist in legislatures across the country. Some have been passed, more are on the way. Rainbow flags have been banned, books featuring diversity forbidden, queer educators told not to mention their spouses, trans kids denied health care, parents and educators threatened with criminal charges for supporting LGBTQIA kids. The assaults on marginalized communities across the country, particularly kids, are exhaustive and exhausting.
Yet in some ways, the Newberg policy worries me more because we tend to be a little complacent in Oregon. Progressive neighbors see what’s happening in Florida and Texas and think it cannot happen here.
It can. It is.
When authorities decide supporting kids of color and LGBTQIA kids is “political” and “divisive,” they are sending a clear message that the existence of those kids is a problem. Symbols supporting marginalized groups are only “divisive” to those who have biases against those communities. For kids in those communities, the symbols signify safety and welcome.
Growing up in a culture that persistently attacks your very existence has devastating effects. Depression rates, harassment, substance abuse and suicide rates all skyrocket. Newberg’s removal of rainbow and BLM symbols doesn’t protect kids. It puts the most marginalized at far greater risk of harm.
I sometimes wonder what life could have been like had I seen a trans or rainbow flag in school, to be welcomed by my community rather than rejected and forced into decades of hiding.
Then I try to imagine having that supportive environment only for it to be suddenly and publicly yanked away with rancor and animus. It’s not a hypothetical exercise. There are kids of color and queer kids in Newberg feeling betrayed and rejected by adults who cannot manage their own biases and behavior, much less handle the best interests of marginalized students. When the Proud Boys show up in support of your actions, maybe it’s time for a little self-reflection.
To the former Newberg School District board members who resigned, I thank you for fighting on behalf of our kids. I hope you can continue advocating for kids in marginalized communities. To the rest of us in Oregon, let Newberg be a warning. It can happen here.
It is happening here.
Ty Warren is a senior instructor at the University of Oregon and an active proponent for trans rights and regular contributor to The Register-Guard. He lives in Eugene.
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This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Let Newberg's intolerance be a warning for Oregon
