By Tim Jordan
Staff Writer

Westford Academy is a public high school, which means it is a place of learning offered to all young adults in Westford. In order to create a positive learning environment, students should feel safe, comfortable, and focused on learning.

In the past few years, Westford Academy has shifted some of its focus onto other things, specifically gay rights.

While these are important subjects and should not be ignored, WA isn’t the proper forum in which to discuss them. In an effort to educate the student body about homosexuality, the effects have been more distraction and grief than peace and understanding.

Gay Rights should not be discussed in school because it presents a large distraction to the student body and focuses on a very personal issue. By performing a Day of Silence it distracts the entire school, slowing the learning process and taking the attention away from the education.

There have been complaints that the school does not support the Day of Silence, but can you blame them? At best it succeeds in grabbing the attention of everyone in school, which blocks the efforts of teachers to educate. Should the Gay-Straight Alliance have the right to a distracting display any more than, say, the Animal Rights League? It is becoming hard to see where the line is drawn.

Another issue stems from Westford Academy Theater Arts. WATA puts on spectacular shows year after year, but lately it seems as if every show’s plot centers around homosexuality. It has become a running joke within my friends, the student body, and even a couple of teachers on how many homosexual plays WATA performs.

While it is reasonable to do a few plays centered on homosexuality, and there is no doubt that some of the plays are very good, to have over fifty percent of larger plays in the last year be centered around homosexuality is crazy and taking the spotlight away from kids that truly deserve it.

Instead of showcasing student’s talent and acting abilities, the actors have become overshadowed by their plays controversial messages. Earlier this year, the play Angels in America was overshadowed by a comment made by a reader of the Lowell Sun on homosexuality in the play, which is a tragedy for those in the play because it was very well done.

The biggest problem with discussing gay rights at Westford Academy is that it is a public high school. People don’t have much of a choice unless their interests involve Nashoba Tech or they can afford a private school.

Therefore, there are plenty of people and cultures at Westford Academy, and each group should be respectful of the other. By holding a day of silence, or having public displays of affection, or performing a numerous amount of homosexual plays in school, there are many people that could take offense due to their religion and beliefs and that puts them in a situation that is unfair.

If I was discussing something that offended people within my school and they do not have a choice whether to be there or not, then the issue should not be discussed. That is why issues of homosexuality should remain outside of school, because it puts everyone into a situation that they do not deserve.