OAK HARBOR: Parents question LGBTQ+ student group

Luisa Loi reports from the Oak Harbor School District for the Whidbey News-Times.

Less than a month since its inception, a Gay Straight Alliance group in Oak Harbor’s HomeConnection school has raised concerns among some parents.

When Addy Walker, 14, came up with the idea of the group, she envisioned a safe space where LGBTQ+ kids like herself could hang out, talk about movies and music, catch up and be themselves, rather than merely talk about their sexual orientation and gender identity.

But some parents who gathered at a regular Family Support Team meeting with Principal Shane Evans Wednesday afternoon said they worry their children are being exposed to harmful ideologies and politics. Over 30 people, including parents, staff and Walker, shared their opinions on these polarizing topics being discussed or mentioned in schools.

They Said It

Josh MacLean, who attended the meeting as a parent and not a school board member, wrote in a text that he found nothing concerning about the poster and commended Walker for speaking up for her peers.