At Kellogg High School in Kellogg, Idaho, another conservative American is facing consequences for affirming a traditional view of male and female.
During a recent assembly where soon-to-be graduating seniors were meant to give parting words of wisdom to underclassmen, 18-year-old Travis Lohr made a statement that apparently offended the school’s administration.
“Guys are guys and girls are girls,” Lohr said according to the Shoshone News-Press. “There is no in-between.”
Shortly thereafter, Lohr was informed that he would not be allowed to walk in the school’s graduation ceremony.
Lohr and the other seniors had to prepare their statements in advance for school approval. After school officials told Lohr he wasn’t allowed to say that “guys are guys and girls are girls,” he chose to share the statement anyway, according to the News-Press.
“I feel that I shouldn’t be punished for believing in something that I believe,” Lohr told the News-Press.
“It’s more that people took it the wrong way. Everyone can speak freely, I can’t see why I can’t voice my opinion.”
On Twitter, the Idaho Tribune shared a short clip showing over 100 parents and students mobilizing outside the school to protest Lohr’s suspension on Friday.
Over 100 parents and students protested Kellogg High School’s decision to punish a student for saying “Guys are guys and girls are girls. There is no in-between.”
In spite of today’s protest, Travis Lohr will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony. pic.twitter.com/lS9gMsiZwl
— Idaho Tribune (@IdahoTribune) June 2, 2023
According to KHQ-TV, a number of students participated in a walkout that day in protest of the suspension.
The walkout is shown in the Tribune’s video, with the many parents in attendance cheering loudly as the protesting students exited the building.
Later in the video, the crowd can be heard forcefully and repeatedly cheering “Let him walk.”
Nevertheless, it appears that Kellogg High School will stand by its decision.
Later on Friday, the Kellogg School District announced it would be postponing the graduation ceremony, which was originally meant to take place on Saturday, claiming that “threats” had made the situation unsafe, KHQ-TV reported.
Despite all the controversy caused by his comments, Lohr stands by what he said.
“I would love to walk in my graduation ceremony. I don’t believe that I should be punished for what I said. I wasn’t directing it at anybody or any groups, it’s just something that I believe in,” Lohr told the Shoshone News-Press.
“Kids nowadays really support gay people, transgender people, and it wasn’t targeted at that but there’s a lot of confusion about genders in the world today and I figured that underclassmen might find something in me saying that.”
“There’s a lot of support for other genders and other groups, but yet I don’t see any support for people who just believe in two (genders). I don’t have any hatred toward gay people or transgenders — just like I hope they wouldn’t have any resentment toward me for believing what I believe.”
CORRECTION, June 6, 2023: Kellogg High School is in Kellogg, Idaho. An earlier version of this article included a different name for the school and city.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
