Entertainment

A look back at a gay actor's speech in a Pennsylvania school – NBC New York

A gay actor's speech that was canceled because of his lifestyle is returning to a Pennsylvania school after residents spoke out.

The Cumberland Valley School Districts board voted 5-4 Wednesday night to allow children's book author Maulik Pancholy, who is gay, to speak out against bullying at a May 22 meeting at the Mountain View Middle School. The board voted after hearing from residents, including more than a dozen students.

On April 15, the board unanimously rescinded Pancholy's speech after a board member raised concerns about what he described as the activism and style of life of the actor. Some board members also noted that the district adopted a policy prohibiting hosting overtly political events after coming under fire for hosting a Donald Trump rally during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Some community members said the cancellation was ill-advised and sent a hurtful message, particularly to the LGBTQ+ community, and Superintendent Mark Blanchard and other district leaders sent a letter to the board, faculty and staff saying Pancholy's speech should have been allowed.

Education officials said the board did not give them a real opportunity to answer questions or provide advice about the event, which they said was intended to reinforce the importance of equal treatment of all.

Pancholy, 48, is an award-winning actor, most notably for his roles in the television shows 30 Rock and Weeds, and as the voice of Baljeet in the Disney animated series, Phineas & Ferb. He has also written children's books and, in 2014, was appointed by then-President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where he co-founded a campaign to combat AAPI bullying.

Pancholy's appearance was scheduled by the school's leadership team, which selects an author each year to present a unique educational experience to students, according to the district.

At the April 15 meeting, school board members said they didn't know what Pancholy would talk about, but one member said he didn't want to take the risk of what it might entail.

If you look for this individual, he presents himself as an activist, Bud Shaffner said, according to Pennlive. He takes pride in his lifestyle and I don't think that should be forced on our students, at any age.

Pancholy looks forward to seeing the community members who supported him next month and was moved by each student who showed immense courage in speaking out at the board meeting, a- he declared Thursday in a press release.

Thank you for sharing your powerful messages of love, inclusion, respect and belonging, Pancholy wrote.

In a statement posted on social media after the board's initial vote, Pancholy said that as a middle school student, he never saw himself represented in stories and that books featuring South Asian-American or LGBTQ+ characters did not exist. When he began writing his own novels years later, he still struggled to find these stories, he said.

This is why I wrote my books in the first place, Pancholy wrote. Because representation matters.

Pancholy said his visits to schools were meant to let all young people know they are seen. To let them know they matter.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/gay-actors-speech-back-on-at-pennsylvania-school-after-cancellation-over-his-lifestyle/5355207/%3Famp%3D1

The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos