A disabled man recently lambasted school board members for including the handicap symbol on “equality” badges worn by teachers in support of LGBTQ+ ideology and the Black Lives Matter organization.
Public school employees in Fenton, Michigan found themselves at the center of controversy after creating “equality” staff badges, representing various victim and identity groups on the left. The badge contained the bisexual flag, the handicap symbol, the gender-fluid/pansexual colors, the pride flag, the lesbian flag, the Black Lives Matter fist, the symbol for gender equality, and more. It was meant to resemble badges created by the National Education Association, which created badges containing QR codes bringing students to sexually explicit and inappropriate websites.
Billy Vickers, a disabled Michigan resident, took issue with the handicap symbol being placed on a badge for progressive social justice.
“It was brought up in the last meeting that no one had an issue with the handicap symbol on the badge — well, unfortunately, I’m apparently going to be that guy,” Vickers began.
Billy Vickers has lived with a disability for 20 years and is a life coach and mentor at three different hospital systems in the state of Michigan. He also runs several support groups and is a member of advisory councils for disabled persons. “So yes . . . I am pretty confident [that] I will speak for the disability community,” Vickers stated.
“Our symbol is not just a thing you can use for your political agenda. As a conglomerate, I can say — we overwhelmingly do not support your ideology and values . . . we are not a victim mentality group that needs safe spaces, saving, or special treatment from anyone . . . please take my symbol off your political agenda.”
Billy Vickers
The room reacted with cheers and applause following Vicker’s speech. Several parents have, for weeks, been expressing their frustration with the school board’s decision to allow teachers to wear the badges while instructing young students. These parents have been met with hostility and disingenuous arguments from the Fenton Area Public Schools (FAPS) Superintendent, Heidie Ciesielski, who told them that banning the badges would restrict teachers’ First Amendment rights.
“An educator within FAPS told Turning Point USA that very few teachers in the district are standing alongside parents on the issue and are more concerned with indoctrinating students in their classrooms.”
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This piece originally appeared on TPUSA.
