Florida High School Student Gives Graduation Speech Using “Curly Hair” as Code for “Gay”
LGBTQ+ activists and allies nationwide are speaking out against Florida’s hateful “Don’t Say Gay” bill, a new law that prohibits the discussion of sexual identity and gender identity in the classroom. When Zander Moricz — the first openly gay class president at Pine View School in Osprey, Florida — was prohibited by school administration not to use the word “gay” in his graduation speech, he didn’t avoid the conversation. He came up with a clever alternative.
During the May 22 ceremony, Zander used the phrase “curly hair” to deliver a powerful, stirring speech about his experiences and the injustices that the LGBTQ+ community faces.
“As you know, I have curly hair,” he said while taking off his graduation cap. “I used to hate my curls. I spent mornings and nights embarrassed of them, trying desperately to straighten this part of who I am, but the daily damage of trying to fix myself became too much to endure.”
“While having curly hair in Florida is difficult due to the humidity, I decided to be proud of who I was and started coming to school as my authentic self,” Zander continued. “There are going to be so many kids with curly hair who need a community like Pine View, and they won’t have one. Instead, they’ll try to fix themselves so that they can exist in Florida’s humid climate.”
Zander is a plaintiff in a lawsuit that is challenging the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which is known officially as the Parental Rights in Education bill. On May 9, Zander wrote on Twitter that his principal had warned him from discussing his identity or activism in his speech.
“A few days ago, my principal called me into his office and informed me that if my graduation speech referenced my activism or role as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, school administration had a signal to cut off my microphone, end my speech, and halt the ceremony,” he wrote. “I am the first openly-gay Class President in my school’s history–this censorship seems to show that they want me to be the last.”
I am the youngest public plaintiff in the “Don’t Say Gay” lawsuit. I am my Florida high school’s first openly-gay Class President. I am being silenced, and I need your help. 🧵
— zander moricz (@zandermoricz) May 9, 2022
Zander concluded his speech by asking his fellow graduates to take action, vote, and “claim their power.”
“When you waste your power, what you’re really doing is giving it to whoever has the most already,” he said. “And right now, those with the most power are coming for those with the least. We should not have to deal with this. But we’re ready.”
You Might Also Like
