What He Believes
“There are only two genders,” he confidently announced.
He thought that statement would have made his point of view clear but the opposing party was not going to surrender. They were determined to persuade him to let go of what he believed in and to adopt their beliefs. He felt like that was the true crime. Why was he the one who ended up being suspended then?
A Devout Believer
Matthew Parker grew up in a religious Catholic household. He was mocked for his beliefs throughout his life but he enjoyed being close to his church.
Never in a million years would Matthew have thought that his religious background would be the reason why he would end up being suspended and prohibited from attending his graduation.
Spanish Lessons
The entire ordeal started with a simple conversation regarding the Spanish lesson Matthew had that day. Matthew attended Exeter High of New Hampshire.
Matthew and his friend wanted to see how well they remember the Spanish pronouns they had learned. The list was extensive and Matthew enjoyed the help. However, his friend said something that made Matthew quite upset.
There Are Only Two
“It doesn’t make sense to have these pronouns when there are more than two genders. Even Chinese has a gender-neutral pronoun.” said his friend. Matthew felt his face get red.
Matthew couldn't disagree more. “There are only two genders. Male and Female” said Matthew. His friend stared at him in disbelief but Matthew did not care. This is what he believed in.
It's Not Factual
What started as a friendly debate between the two friends quickly turned into a heated argument.
“You want people to use your him/he pronouns. So why can’t you respect others? You’re basically snubbing millions of people who don’t identify that way,” said his friend. With every single word, Matthew grew even more frustrated. “They’re wrong. It’s against God.” Matthew have had this same argument with many people before this friend and he knew that it wasn't going to go anywhere. He got off at his stop and on his walk home, he suddenly received a text.
It's Not Over Yet
The text was from the friend on the bus. It seemed like the friend was not done arguing. Matthew sighed.
Everyone is always begging for their beliefs to be respected but nobody has granted him the same courtesy. They want other people to use their "pronouns" but they don't want to respect his choice not to address them with these pronouns. Ridiculous! Matthew had no clue that the words he had just typed would lead to his expulsion.
Troublemaker
The argument on the bus was overheard by a girl that was one of "those supporters" and got unnecessarily upset. The friend that wanted to continue the argument was also deeply offended by Matthew's beliefs.
The following day Matthew found himself sitting in the school headmaster's office. His sports coach was seated right next to Matthew. The headmaster informed Matthew that he had violated the school policy.
Refusal To Give In
Matthew grew very frustrated up until he couldn't take the lecture anymore.
Matthew finally exploded and told the headmaster “Look, I’m not going to be berated about my beliefs. Besides, the conversation happened OUT of class. Forcing me to do something I don’t believe in is the real violation. A girl is a girl, and a boy is a boy. There’s no other way. Period. You’re so obsessed with pandering to the leftist groups that you spend more time on these ridiculous social movements than you do with real education.” The headmaster could not believe Matthew just said these things. The tension in the room was rising.
Betrayal
Matthew did not care that the headmaster looked at him with rage. Matthew did not care that his sports coach saw this exchange. He felt like his beliefs were valid and he won't give up on what he believed in.
The events unfolded quickly after Matthew's outburst. The headmaster informed Matthew that he will be taken off the sports team and that he is suspended indefinitely. To make matters even worse, the headmaster told Matthew that he is also prohibited from attending prom. Matthew had enough. He gathered his things and walked out of the office. He felt very wronged, he couldn't believe this.
Freedom Of Expression
He walked home in anger. What happened to freedom of speech wondered Matthew.
Matthew told his mother of the incident as soon as he got home. Angered by the situation, his mother contacted their family lawyer. She will not stand for this poor treatment of her son.
Getting Help
You see, being such a close-knit, religious community, they already knew a Catholic Rights group that would be able to help them.
It wasn’t long until they had a lawsuit ready and stormed the school as a group – with his mother heading the charge and looking like she was ready to draw blood.
Delicate Snowflakes
The suspension was a violation of his rights, which superseded any ridiculous “rule” that catered to those with disturbed minds. His mother handed over the papers, demanding they fix things immediately.
But the principal pulled out his own piece of paper. “These are signatures of those who are in support of Matthew’s suspension. Your son may have the right to free speech, but that doesn’t grant him exceptions from their consequences.”
Everyone Snubbed
Matthew steamed at the list. It was long … several pages.
The principal continued, “Sports groups and proms are not a right. They are a privilege. While your son complains he was snubbed, he had snubbed over a hundred student directly and another couple hundred of their allies. The school’s policy is clear. His “debate” wasn’t confined to out of school boundaries because he started it on the bus and said it loud enough that others could hear…”
Using His Words
“Our school embraces inclusion.” He then stared right at Matthew. “Period.”
He turned his attention back to Matthew’s mother, who was still irate. “If you don’t like it, I suggest enrolling Matthew in a school that supports your beliefs. In the meantime, you’re welcome to sue us. We have our own lawyers ready.”
Going Someplace Better
Matthew and his mom steamed as they drove home.
But, there was at least some good news. He only had a couple more years to go. And he could now spend them in a Catholic school, with people who had the same beliefs … and wouldn’t punish him for his.