A Tennessee mom whose LGBTQ+ child faced verbal abuse and harassment at school from other students spoke out at a Wilson County School Board meeting and shamed the state officials and right-wing groups for promoting discrimination and hate.
Lindsey Patrick-Wright, the mother of Pippy, a sixth grader at West Wilson Middle School in Mount Juliet, recited some of the hateful comments that Pippy heard at school, such as “You should kill yourself” and “You’re going to hell”.
She blamed the elected officials who allowed anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to be repeated in the homes and enacted 19 discriminatory bills since 2015, the most of any state in the country.
She also criticized the right-wing groups, such as Moms for Liberty, who protested at school board meetings and called for banning books with LGBTQ+ content. She said that many of them did not have children in the public school system.
“We are war moms. We are fighting for our children’s education. We are fighting for our children’s future. We are fighting for our country,” Tina Descovich, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, said in a video posted on the group’s website.
Patrick-Wright praised the teachers and counselors who supported Pippy and gave them a safe space at school. She said that Pippy came out as a lesbian in the fourth grade and later asked to be referred to by the pronouns she and they.
She said that the verbal abuse intensified around February, when Pippy shaved their head to play Uncle Fester in the school musical, The Addams Family. She said that Pippy came home from school upset “at least 30 percent of the days, if not 50”.
She said that the harassment happened mostly on the bus, in the hallway and in the cafeteria, where it was difficult for the staff and teachers to moderate behavior.
“I think the teachers are doing the best job that they can. And I don’t blame the administrators. I blame the elected officials who are allowing this rhetoric to be repeated in the homes,” she said.
Patrick-Wright’s speech came amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Tennessee, which has been condemned by human rights groups and activists.
In 2023, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed three anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law, including one that attempts to define sex as immutable and based on anatomy and genetics at birth, one that allows businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ+ customers based on religious beliefs, and one that requires schools to notify parents before teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity.
“These bills are nothing more than a political ploy to drum up fear and division ahead of an election year. They will only harm LGBTQ+ Tennesseans, especially transgender youth who already face significant barriers to their health and well-being,” Alphonso David, president of Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Mark Pody, defended his legislation as a matter of faith.
“This bill is not about hate. It’s about love. It’s about loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself,” he said during a Senate debate.
Patrick-Wright said that she hoped her speech would raise awareness and inspire change.
“I want people to know that this is happening in our schools. And I want people to know that there are kids like mine who need support and love and acceptance,” she said.
Relevant articles:
– A Mom Who Is Actually for Liberty Shames Tennessee School Board, The Daily Beast, July 12, 2023
– HRC Condemns TN Governor Lee for Signing Three Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Into Law; State Has Passed 19 Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Since 2015, Human Rights Campaign, May 18, 2023
– Tennessee parents say lesson plan make students ‘feel discomfort’ about race and gender, CNN, September 29, 2021