Lady Gaga supports Cole Goforth, who wore 'Gay Gay' t-shirt

Wow kid got sent home for wearing a controversial t-shirt. How is this a news story? Did the people reporting this not go to high school and see this happen all the time?

He wore the shirt because he thought it was funny and he knew he'd get attention. He's getting plenty of it now.

okay, I'm from this town. This is not a news story. This is a ridiculous over reaction for a kid that feels the need for attention. It's the teachers job to make sure that schools remain a learning environment, and if anything gets in the way of that, then it's their job to stop the distraction. They're just doing what they are supposed to do.

I suppose your children and the rest of the students who wear rebel flags, and jesus/church shirts should also be removed, cause school is not about supporting your views...Correct?

Dustin: He wore the shirt because he's a fan of Gaga, that's what people do...they wear shirts, do you know what that is? It's news because WHY would they send him home because of this shirt?


His mother was quoted as saying that the school had allowed a shirt with "gay" on it before and allows religious and rebel flag shirts. Administrators shouldn't infuse their own political/religious/social opinions on merely one student because they think the word "gay" is a distraction.


The kid has guts and I'm glad he brought it to mainstream attention so those administrators can think twice before discriminating against students.

Actually......Cole did not wear the shirt because he wanted attention.He wore it because he likes Lady Gaga.Im am a friend of Cole's.And I am also a big fan of Lady Gaga.Her music is great.SHES GREAT!!I love you Lady Gaga!!!!!!!!!

As you may have heard there is a controversial argument in the state of Tennessee. There is of course a side to every story. The nation has picked sides and it will be hard to find an unbiased statement. Allow me to shed some light on the story.

The story has to begin when the main affected character, Cole, first moved to Greenbrier, TN. He lived a quiet life as many middle school students do. It wasn’t until news of his sexuality started swarming about he began to show his true identity. His clothes began to change from the normal A&F to smaller more feminine shirts. Since everyone already knew of his status it wasn’t a disruption, just a minor discussion topic at lunch.
As the year went by he began to… make passes. He would approach male students and whisper rude, sexual remarks in their ears. All of which can be confirmed. He was involved in many fights. All of which “he provoked”. The year ended and life went on as it had.
High school I feel is the biggest pain for Cole. On the first day he had this pink hair. It was a hot pink and by the next day the color was gone. His freshman year went by until recently. He had been involved in a fight with a female student. Remarks were made and Cole was “responsible.”
Monday was a different day. As soon as Cole entered the school all eyes focused on him and his shirt, rumors started. By mid-morning it had escalated and the school was buzzing with gossip and ridicule. As the news verified Cole was asked to remove the shirt. He retired to his home that day after going to the school board.
Then, the news happened. It only caused more of a disturbance. No student or faculty member accepted the fact he took it to WSMV. The school had more to talk and joke about. Talking about his interview and how his mom overreacted.
I don’t mean to be narcissistic, but I feel I should be the one on the news. I am the only one in this nation that takes up for both sides. The school did not want another fight to break out. There have been two in the past week. Yes there were other options for them to take, but they were overwhelmed. They hadn’t come across anyone like Cole in the Past. If it wasn’t to keep the sanity of the school, then it was to protect Cole. If he had continued to wear that shirt a fight was bound to happen, no doubt.
The rural atmosphere cannot handle change. There are set customs and ethics all people have to obey to be accepted. Yes, the south is still mad they lost the war and yes they need to grow up. They have their morals that aren’t accepted elsewhere.
Personally I did not choose a side. I prefer large cities and do not intend to spend my whole life the south. The south isn’t to blame for any of this. Opinions can be stated and the extent of the opinions is up for debate. Let it go America. It was supposed to be a statement to the school not the world.
Fellow Student of Cole
J.D.

As you may have heard there is a controversial argument in the state of Tennessee. There is of course a side to every story. The nation has picked sides and it will be hard to find an unbiased statement. Allow me to shed some light on the story.

The story has to begin when the main affected character, Cole, first moved to Greenbrier, TN. He lived a quiet life as many middle school students do. It wasn’t until news of his sexuality started swarming about he began to show his true identity. His clothes began to change from the normal A&F to smaller more feminine shirts. Since everyone already knew of his status it wasn’t a disruption, just a minor discussion topic at lunch.
As the year went by he began to… make passes. He would approach male students and whisper rude, sexual remarks in their ears. All of which can be confirmed. He was involved in many fights. All of which “he provoked”. The year ended and life went on as it had.
High school I feel is the biggest pain for Cole. On the first day he had this pink hair. It was a hot pink and by the next day the color was gone. His freshman year went by until recently. He had been involved in a fight with a female student. Remarks were made and Cole was “responsible.”
Monday was a different day. As soon as Cole entered the school all eyes focused on him and his shirt, rumors started. By mid-morning it had escalated and the school was buzzing with gossip and ridicule. As the news verified Cole was asked to remove the shirt. He retired to his home that day after going to the school board.
Then, the news happened. It only caused more of a disturbance. No student or faculty member accepted the fact he took it to WSMV. The school had more to talk and joke about. Talking about his interview and how his mom overreacted.
I don’t mean to be narcissistic, but I feel I should be the one on the news. I am the only one in this nation that takes up for both sides. The school did not want another fight to break out. There have been two in the past week. Yes there were other options for them to take, but they were overwhelmed. They hadn’t come across anyone like Cole in the Past. If it wasn’t to keep the sanity of the school, then it was to protect Cole. If he had continued to wear that shirt a fight was bound to happen, no doubt.
The rural atmosphere cannot handle change. There are set customs and ethics all people have to obey to be accepted. Yes, the south is still mad they lost the war and yes they need to grow up. They have their morals that aren’t accepted elsewhere.
Personally I did not choose a side. I prefer large cities and do not intend to spend my whole life the south. The south isn’t to blame for any of this. Opinions can be stated and the extent of the opinions is up for debate. Let it go America. It was supposed to be a statement to the school not the world.
Fellow Student of Cole
J.D.

It is well established part of constitutional law that students do not "shed their constitutional rights when they enter the schoolhouse door" (Tinker vs. Des Moines). Restriction of speech require balancing legitimate educational objectives against first amendment values. Tinker established that symbolic speech (aka, t-shirts, armbands) could *only* be prohibited if it were demonstrated it would cause a substantial disruption of the educational mission.

Furthermore, it is assumed that the restrictions on speech are applied evenhandedly. If the school permits overtly political symbolic displays (rebel flags, etc) then it would be hard pressed, if challenged constitutionally, to defend the "Lady Gay Gay" prohibition. They are relying on the unlikelihood of the lawsuit, not on the merits.

J.D. -- asserting the status quo is no defense of it. The constitutional issues do not allow differential suppression of speech because of local mores. If symbolic political speech is permitted, then it must be evenhandedly permitted. If the "rural atmosphere cannot handle change" that speaks to the failings of administrators in maintaining discipline and a safe school environment. They are the ones who need to "grow up." And perhaps you could lose a bit more of the blame the victim mentality. It is never an attractive mental cloth.

Go Cole!

Excellent, excellent comment, Don. Very well said.

Being a former resident of Greenbrier I am very saddened to see that not much has changed there. When I went to the school people were always wearing rebel flag shirts and religious shirts and dropping n-bombs and using profane words when discussing gays and lesbians and no one ever did a thing to stop it. Though there are some that are tolerant and forward thinking living there the vast majority is still stuck in the past and refuses to accept that everyone has a right to be who they are. I know now that I as much as I loved growing up in a small town that whenever I decide to start a family that my kids will go nowhere near that town. Or its negative attitude towards others that choose to live their lives they way they choose to.