Mackenzie Atwood: Gay student shamed while talking of being bullied at Franklin High
An openly gay high school senior, Mackenzie Atwood, was left in tears after being jeered by the crowd at a school board meeting. She was permitted to address a question about protected classes in the school and while sharing her experience she spoke about the bullying she experienced on campus as a gay person. She also threw light on some other friends she knew who were called offensive names including "f**got" along with racial slurs. She was still speaking when the crowd suddenly turned on her and started mocking her after which Atwood looked visibly upset as she spoke, "It is extremely disgusting that you can look me in the eyes and say that I'm not being oppressed." At this point, a woman was heard saying, "This has to stop, this is indoctrination."
In related news, New Jersey's Bryce Dershem was cut off by his principal when his valedictorian speech highlighted queer identity and the importance of therapy. Graduating from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, NJ, Dershem had his speech censored by principal Robert Tull on June 17. Tull ordered him to read from the pre-vetted speech the school had approved after he pulled the plug on the mic and walked away with Dershem's notes. However, nothing seemed to stop the rainbow flag robe-wearing Dershem who continued to deliver his speech from memory instead, to the cheering crowd.
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Who is Mackenzie Atwood?
According to her Facebook page, Mackenzie, originally from Chandler, Arizona, currently resides in Franklin in Massachusetts. She works two jobs, one at Spruce Pond Creamery & Franklin Flatbreads and America's Best Defense. She is a senior at Franklin High School and is a treasurer of the class at her school. She was given permission by the school board to respond to a question about what constitutes a protected class in the school. "At the beginning of every school year, we have meetings discussing who is protected," she began saying, adding that the term applies to everyone.
She continued, "Though everyone is said to be protected, that is not entirely true. When kids are coming to the theater every single day telling me 'Oh I got called a f***** yesterday.' or 'I got a called a racial slur in the hallway' that's not something to joke about - though it's something we've become so numb to that it's become a joke. So I think it's important to understand that, yes everyone is protected in the school, but being someone who is Caucasian is not something you're being bullied about," she said.
People in the crowd began heckling her at this point and the School Committee Chair Anne Bergen banged a gavel to silence the crowd. Atwood continued, "Being homosexual, which I must say I am gay, call me what you want about that, I am being personally attacked in school about that," to the crowd screaming over her. Bergen again intervened, "Quiet down, you will be asked to leave." Atwood became more upset at this point and cried out, "It is extremely disgusting that you can look me in the eyes and say that I'm not being oppressed at this school." At this point, a woman yelled back at Atwood saying, "This has to stop, this is indoctrination." Atwood responded saying there was "no such thing as the gay agenda" and a brief recess was called for by Bergen.
The meeting resumed 10 minutes later with Bergen telling everyone in the room to be respectful. "There will be no shouting from the crowd. That is not how we ever, ever conduct meetings in this building," she said. Speaking about her experience with CBS4 two days after the incident, Atwood said she was still trying to get over what happened at the meeting. "It's so invalidating because people love to believe that being gay is a choice. It was very emotional." She also said "parents and people" should just be "more educated about people's identities."