Gay 30 Rock Cast's Anti-Bullying Speech for Students Canceled by Pennsylvania School Board Due to Lifestyle

Actor, author and activist Maulik Panchol says he was incredibly moved by the outpouring of solidarity, love and support after his appearance at a Pennsylvania high school was canceled by the board of directors of the establishment due to concerns about his lifestyle.

Mr. Pancholy, who is gay, was supposed to organize the anti-bullying event in May at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, Pa., until the Cumberland Valley School District board of education voted unanimously to adopt a motion to cancel it on Monday, New York Times reported.

He presents himself as an activist who is proud of his lifestyle and I don't think that should be imposed on our students, said school board member Bud Shaffner, according to the media outlet. Kelly Potteiger also expressed concern that the activist would mention her books, which feature LGBTQ+ characters.

She told the board there was no discrimination against her lifestyle, it was her choice. But he's the one who talks about it. He said that's not the subject, but it's the subject of his books.

In a statement shared with The independent On Thursday, Mr. Pancholy questioned why the school board was afraid of his appearance and the promotion of his books, which he said were aimed at developing empathy and promoting inclusion.

My heart goes out to the entire Mountain View Middle School community, and especially the students, the release said. My two books… are stories that reflect the full, complicated and wonderful lives of middle school students.

As a middle school student, I never saw myself represented in the stories around me. I didn't find any books featuring South Asian American or LGBTQ+ characters. They didn't exist. And when I started writing my own novels so many years later, I still had trouble finding those stories. This is why I wrote my books in the first place. Because representation matters.

He continues: When I visit schools, my activism is to let all young people know that they are seen. To let them know they matter.

When I talk about characters in my books who feel different, I'm always surprised by how many young people raise their hands – regardless of their identity or background – to share how they, too, feel different.

This is the power of books. They develop empathy. I wonder why a school board is so afraid of this?

Mr. Pancholy added: I hope every student at MVMS receives this message of support and love. That you know that no matter who you are, you have your place. To each of you: I see you. I like you. You count.

The school boards' decision to cancel Monday sparked a backlash, with some calling it shameful. A petition to reestablish the anti-bullying discourse was created.

Petition creator Trisha Comstock, who identified herself in the petition description as a member of the Cumberland Valley School District community, said she was deeply saddened by the school board's decision to cancel the discussion, which she claimed was only made because he was openly gay.

She told the newspaper that her children attended Mountain View Middle School.

Comstock said online that canceling assemblies sends a harmful message to our students: that being different is something to be ashamed of or hidden. As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had garnered more than 2,000 signatures.

It is imperative that our children learn about diversity from a young age, Comstock said in a statement to The independent. The decision made by the school board sends the message that being different is something to be ashamed of and has likely already caused harm to some of our students. Having someone with Maulik's life experiences would have been an inspiration to our children.

Beyond being an actor in 30 Rock And Phineas and Ferb, Mr. Pancholy wrote children's books and also served on President Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which became the nonprofit Act To Change. He runs a non-profit organization that aims to combat bullying in schools.

The independent contacted a representative of Mr. Pancholy, Ms. Shaffner, Ms. Potteiger, the school board president and the college principal.

Mr. Shaffner told the Times that his comment about the actor's lifestyle was about his activism. The fact that he is a self-proclaimed political activist is what we object to, the school board member told the outlet.

Ms. Comstock objected to this characterization, telling the outlet that board members hid the assembly because we want to keep politics out of school when they clearly knew it had nothing to do with it. do with politics.

She added that the community is outraged because that's not who we are.