At Wichita East High School in Kansas, a student got the green light to author an editorial, and have it published in the school's newspaper (The Messenger), that said same-sex relationships were not normal, and then quoted from a Leviticus translation that says men who lie with other men should get the death penalty.

So much for creating a learning environment where all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can feel respected and safe. In Wichita East High School, you can just get on the Internet or open up a copy of The Messenger and be told that you're not normal, and that some people think it's moral to have you killed.

The article, "Homosexual Teens Alienated By Current Societal Trends," is still available online here. (Here's a PDF in case they take it down.)

Among the points that the student author makes: "[Same-sex relationships] relationships just are not normal. One thing to notice is that there is legislation against homosexual marriage. However, there are no legislative restrictions to same-sex dating. Dating does often lead to marriage, so same-sex dating should be frowned upon."

And while that's offensive, it barely compares to this nugget: "Same-sex dating in high school is not accepted by many, despite the efforts of a few. It is a social disruption in many cases, and should be kept out of school to ensure our educational mission with as little of a distraction as possible."

Then comes the Leviticus nugget that anti-gay activists have been using for decades to justify discrimination and violence toward LGBT people: "Also, less commonly cited, is the death penalty called for in another Bible verse, Leviticus 20:13, 'If a man also lie with man, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.' These are the most common arguments against homosexual marriage and/or dating."

Send the folks at Wichita East High School a message that they should take steps to address the damage that this article may have caused. For starters, they can run an article in their next issue that talks about the importance of safe schools, and why it's absolutely necessary to talk about LGBT issues inside the classroom. Second, they can pledge to send a school-wide message that harassment targeted toward LGBT students or those perceived to be LGBT is never acceptable, whether in the hallways, or in the pages of the school's student newspaper.