Kameron Slade, a fifth-grader from Queens, NY, was scheduled to deliver a speech as part of a school-wide competition at PS 195. But when the principal learned Kameron's speech was about same-sex marriage, he was ordered to choose a new topic or lose the opportunity to speak.
From the banned speech:
Some people are for same-gender marriage, while others are against it. Like President Obama, I believe that all people should have the right to marry whoever they want. Marriage is about love, support, and commitment. So who are we to judge? If we judge people like this, this is a form of prejudice. We must learn to accept all differences. ... My mom is very open to me about same-gender marriage. However, some adults may feel uncomfortable and think it's inappropriate to talk about this to children. I think adults must realize that as children get older, they become aware of these mature issues that are going on in the world. If children read or watch the news, they can learn about things like same-gender marriage, so what's the point in trying to hide it? In conclusion, I hope that everyone understands how important it is to respect everyone for who they are. Same-gender marriage is becoming more popular. I believe that same-gender marriage should be accepted worldwide and that parents and teachers should start to discuss these issues without shame to their children.