This week read about Tina Kotek running for Governor of Oregon, and a New York school urging a gay student not to tell his story.
Lesbian Announces Run for Governor of Oregon
Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek announced that she is stepping down from her position to focus on her campaign in the governor’s race. She is the longest-tenured speaker in Oregon and the first lesbian in the nation to lead a legislative chamber.
If she wins, Tina Kotek will be the state’s first lesbian governor.
Kate Brown, who was Oregon’s governor in 2016, is bisexual and was the first openly LGBT individual in the nation to hold the position.
“Serving as Speaker of the House and representing my community in the legislature has been an amazing honor, and I am forever grateful to my constituents, my colleagues, and the entire state for the opportunity to serve,” Kotek said in a statement.
Kotek’s decision comes as a shock to many, Oregon Public Broadcast reported. Her Democratic allies expected Kotek to lead the “high-stakes” February session with the goal of tackling issues such as police reforms, the state’s ongoing housing crisis, worker protections and more. Some feel uncertain and now fear a power struggle.
“I have faith in my colleagues to get everything over the finish line next month,” Kotek said.
High School Urges Gay Student to Not Tell His Story
Tyler Johnson. Photo via TikTok.
Tyler Johnson was asked by his high school newspaper to share his story — what was the biggest challenge he overcame? But when he submitted his answer, he was called into the principal’s office.
The Advocate reported that his response to the newspaper’s question was, “The biggest challenge I faced was growing up gay and coming out. I had to learn how to become comfortable in my own skin and how to stay strong through bullying and all the negative experiences I had while trying to navigate through life.”
The school’s principal, Mike O’Brien, told Johnson that he would have to re-write his answer, specifically leaving out the parts about being gay and bullied. He said that Johnson was a great student and deserved to be featured, but those subjects were against district policy.
Johnson said he’s had to deal with anxiety because of this situation. The Tully community and district superintendent have expressed support for Johnson.
Superintendent Robert Hughes said the district needed to do a better job of supporting LGBT students, however, Johnson said that neither Hughes nor O’Brien had reached out to apologize directly.
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