Gay pride flag controversy in Kennewick schools was never just about the flags | Opinion

Kennewick School Board members Michael Connors, Ron Mabry and Diane Sundvik made the right call when they voted against micro-managing what kind of flags are allowed in school classrooms.

While the changes under consideration wouldn’t have banned a particular display, most citizens saw the proposal as a hit against gay pride flags.

That’s because the conversation was launched at the Sept. 14 board meeting when a handful of people complained that the rainbow-striped flags were allowed in classrooms.

Not long after, similar concerns were raised in the Richland School District where the topic is still under review.

Kennewick board member Micah Valentine has tried to frame the issue as an effort to promote the American flag, saying other flags shouldn’t overshadow it.

But there’s already focus on the American flag. State law requires public school students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance once a day and at school assemblies.

So no matter how this flag conversation was steered, this vote was going to be seen as a policy on how to support — or not support — LGBTQIA students.

Over the past few months, parents and students told the Kennewick board that it’s reassuring for LGBTQIA students when they see a pride flag in a classroom. They take it as a sign that they are accepted as they are.

Such affirmation is desperately needed, and is critical to the mental and emotional health of these vulnerable teens.

Considering the alarming statistics recently released by the CDC’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, school districts should be doing more — not less — to make LGBTQIA students feel safe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the survey every year to monitor health behaviors among America’s youth. Its latest report came out on Monday and revealed that teens who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or questioning often feel less connected to school.

According to the survey results, close to 70% of LGBTQ teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year, and more than 50% struggled with poor mental health.

What’s most alarming is that 1 in 5 — 22% — had attempted suicide.

The flag controversy in Kennewick was prompted by concerned parents and students who said pride flags are distracting. They would rather there be a “neutral” atmosphere at school with only the American and Washington state flags on display.

But the policy that the Kennewick board was considering wasn’t going that far.

It made certain restrictions on flags, such as no flag could be larger or hung higher than the U.S. flag, and that they couldn’t be used to cover a window and there could only be one copy of the same flag displayed.

If this proposal had been approved, it’s likely neither side would have been happy.

For those who want pride flags removed, this policy wouldn’t have gone far enough.

For those who saw the controversy as part of an anti-LGBTQIA agenda, approving this policy would have been a hurtful blow.

Last fall, Valentine suggested passing a conservative school policy on the flag issue would be essential to passing this year’s school levy.

With the school board flag vote taken a week before ballots were due Tuesday, there was some concern about how the drama might affect election results.

Fortunately, as of Thursday morning, all the school levies in the Tri-Cities were passing, including Kennewick, which so far has 55% approval.

It’s a relief. Last year the Kennewick school levy failed twice and the cuts would be deep and painful next school year if the levy failed again.

In voting against the flag proposal, Board President Michael Connors said, “We’re leaning towards teaching kids to be intolerant. Going out in the world, all these kids are going to face stuff they don’t like — that’s just reality. We have to find a way to teach tolerance and acceptance, whether you like it or not. That’s reality.”

It certainly is.