Gay Pride Flag Will Be Flown At Ridgewood High School

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A gay pride flag will be hoisted at Ridgewood High School Tuesday.

The student-led Gay/Straight Alliance headed up a campaign to fly the flag at the school for the rest of the month, which is Gay Pride Month. The flag will be flown at the flagpole athletic field on the back of the property. It will be hoisted at 3:15 p.m.

Junior Charlotte Simpson is one of the leaders of the Gay/Straight Alliance and an ally to the school's gay community. She helped spearhead the effort to fly the flag. The group met with Principal Tom Gorman, who supported the group's effort.

"There is nothing that says the flag can't be flow. We have not been met with any resistance the entire time," Simpson said. "It shows that administrators are willing to stand up for the gay community. It isn't a political statement, but a statement of acceptance, which is important for everyone to see."

RELATED: Ridgewood Council Approves Flying Gay Pride Flag

The alliance has lead a number of initiatives this academic year in support of the gay community on campus. They headed up the local effort of the Day of Silence, a national campaign designed to bring awareness to the silencing effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment.

The group also raised $400 for the New Jersey Pride Center, a nonprofit pro-gay organization that supports young people, by selling gay pride flags at school and in the village.

Simpson said she is not aware of any other North Jersey high school flying the flag this month.

Flying the flag at the high school was met with considerably less discussion than was involved in flying the one at Van Neste Square. The issue created controversy after council members last month seemed to be against flying the flag on the municipal flagpole at Village Hall. A gay pride flag is also being flown in Glen Rock.

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