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Park City High School Seniors Leave Pride Flags As 2021 Gift

Park City High School GSA Club

  

The Park City High School class of 2021 said goodbye to their classmates and school staff last week in their final farewell to the district. This year, the senior gifted identity flags to the school as part of an inclusiveness theme. 

 

The Park City High School Student Council wanted to address the disharmony of the current social climate and leave a gift celebrating diversity with flags representing the various cultures and identities represented in the Park City school system. 

 

It's a common tradition at Park City High School for a graduating class to leave a legacy gift. Student Council worked with their teacher advisor and purchased the flags to make a movie and then fly them in the common area of the high school. Only moments before flag-waving students gathered on Dozier Field to film, the administration halted the activity.

 

Park City High School Gay Straight Alliance Advisor May Sue Purzycki said the message from administration was that only national flags were approved to be part of the project. Many students, however, told KPCW the change occurred due to a parent complaint that LGBTQ pride flags were offensive.

 

Superintendent Jill Gildea declined to comment on the students' claims.

 

Then a change of heart occurred. In the last few days of school, a reversal allowed some GSA Club flags to display. Students added a cut to the film to include the flags while they carried them up PC Hill, all part of the inclusiveness-themed gift from the graduating seniors.

 

Park City High School Principal Roger Arbabi said he believes all students in the school should be acknowledged as part of the Miner Nation Community and is pleased to know how happy they are with the change course.

 

“I made a decision really based on student safety, and after evaluating, we decided to make a change, and we allowed the video to be filmed with all of their flags represented,” Arbabi said.

 

In a statement to KPCW, GSA-affiliated students said they're pleased with the Administration's decision to allow the rainbow flag and the trans flag to hang with other identity flags in the high school common area.

 

Students said they were happy that two GSA pride flags went up a couple of days before school was out. But they don't know if they'll be there in the fall. Their statement to KPCW said many of the previously purchased identity flags are not currently hanging in the common area.  But the club members are happy with the progress. They said it took persistent effort to bring the flag project to reality, and they hope it sets a precedent for future Park City students. 

 

GSA Club Treasurer Nina G. said she has only received positive feedback from peers.

 

"I was very happy about it, and it's, it's something that I didn't expect ever to be something that a school would allow,” she said. “And now that we are allowed to have them hung up in school, it's, it's such a great step forward and something that I'll be proud of being a part of the rest of my life."

 

The name of the student flag gift is “We Are All Miners,” in reference to the high school’s mascot. 

 

Nina said the student feedback has been joyful and even gushing. Students have told her they're happy to be legitimately represented as part of the school community.  

 

"Well, one of the reasons not to put it up was to keep LGBT students safe from those who weren't as accepting, but I think having the flags up, that really has made them feel more accepted in the school environment, and, and safer in general because they, they feel happier about coming to school now that they are represented with us the student body,” she said.

 

She hopes the flags will remain in the common area through next year. Nina said including the rainbow flag and the trans flag is a good start, but there is always room for more representation.       

 

Arbabi confirmed that the identity flag project was the 2021 senior gift, and it will remain on display through 2022. 

 

Nina plans to continue on the GSA Board next year. She said they plan to focus on more advocacy and awareness.

KPCW reporter Carolyn Murray covers Summit and Wasatch County School Districts. She also reports on wildlife and environmental stories, along with breaking news. Carolyn has been in town since the mid ‘80s and raised two daughters in Park City.
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