High School Year Book:Gay Kiss too "illicit" and "provocative"???

Now, i really don't see what's so illicit or provocative about two people showing love and affection through a kiss.

Newark Superintendent of Schools Marion Bolden called the photograph "illicit" and ordered it blacked out of the $85 yearbook before it was distributed to students at a banquet for graduating seniors Thursday.
"It looked provocative," she said. "If it was either heterosexual or gay, it should have been blacked out. It's how they posed for the picture."

Russell Garris, the assistant superintendent who oversees the city's high schools, brought the photograph to Bolden's attention Thursday afternoon. He was concerned the picture would be controversial and upsetting to parents, Bolden said.

There are gay parents too, this is about all students both gay and straight being fairly represented in their own high school year book.

There are several photos of heterosexual couples kissing in the yearbook, but the superintendent said she didn't review the entire yearbook and was presented only with Jackson's page.

I'm not really surprise, but she made sure to review Andre and his boyfriend's kiss photo. In the state of New Jersey, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, but the Newark, NJ school superintendent felt it necessary to protect parents on their "standards".

"I don't understand. There is no rule about no gay pictures, no guys kissing. Guys and girls kissing made it in."
-- East Side High School student Andre Jackson, whose photo of a kiss with his boyfriend David Escobales had a black marker taken to it in every copy of the yearbook.

Of course there is NO rule, they felt it was necessary, whatever that means. Andre is a inspiration to all young gay people. Andre Jackson says he came out when he was 16 and that he and David Escobales have been together since October. I wish them the best and many more. Also, it's strange a state like New Jersey would do some something like this, it recently legalized Civil Unions, and I predict in the near future, marriage will be extended to gay couples, because the new law is having problems. More on that in another post!