We stand in solidarity with the Sheridan School and headmaster Jessica Donovan in their refusal to play sports at the Immanuel Christian School—where Karen Pence currently teaches—because of its policy of not admitting LGBTQ students.
“As we talked more, we understood that some students did not feel safe entering a school that bans LGBTQ parents, students or even families that support LGBTQ rights,” Donovan wrote in a letter to parents of Sheridan students. “Forcing our children to choose between an environment in which they feel unsafe or staying home was not an option.”
All too often, LGBTQ students are prevented from living as their full selves in the classroom, locker room or playing field, and are isolated from their friends and peers. By standing as a community against hate and intolerance, Sheridan school is sending a powerful message that all students deserve to be welcomed and accepted, and that an injustice against one student is an injustice against all.