It’s all about embracing who you truly are nowadays. Celebrate who you are and don’t ever feel the need to apologize for what you feel.
Unfortunately, this belief system doesn’t apply to all establishments. A little girl has been victimized because she went by what she felt, and in the end, it just wasn’t acceptable.
Chloe was an eight-year-old girl who enjoyed school and who loved being in the company of her friends. She was too young to think about malice and hate, but when she had a crush on another girl, she was brought to tears. The antigay actions from Rejoice Christian Schools in Oklahoma scarred her, and the effects may last a lifetime for her.
Yes, an Oklahoma school expelled an 8-year-old little girl for her girl crush. The little girl goes by the name Chloe. She was a former student at Rejoice Christian Schools in Owasso. She was simply having fun with her friends and had decided to share with a female classmate that she had a crush on her. The feelings were just so new to her that she had to say it out loud. No one ever expected that something bad would come out of it. In response, the vice principal of the said school called her to the office for a meeting. She ended up getting a long and tedious lecture about the Bible and how it forbids everyone to engage in same-sex relationships, which was, to many, too early at this point. More importantly, some felt that schools are there to foster the real you as you grow into a responsible citizen. So, why was she getting a lecture when she should have been guided?
Chloe’s mother, Delanie Shelton was left aghast and shocked. She shares how her little girl reacted to the whole debacle and said, “My daughter was crying, saying ‘does God still love me?'” Delanie just couldn’t stand around doing nothing. She had to share it to the media, hoping that this experience wouldn’t happen to other young children out there.
After the said meeting with the vice principal, Shelton was asked to pick her daughter up from school. As soon as she arrived, she talked about how the vice principal asked her about her views on “girls liking girls.” The school official “looked shocked and appalled” when she simply answered with, “If we’re being honest, I think it’s okay.”
There was radio silence on the day Delanie picked Chloe up from school, but the following day had been different. Shelton then received a phone call from the school and they informed her that Chloe and her five-year-old brother were no longer welcome in the establishment as students.
Due to the antiquated antigay views, Shelton must find another school for her two children. This was even harder because the whole thing happened in the midst of a pandemic.
Shelton said, “They ripped my kids out of the only school they’ve ever really known, away from their teachers and friends they’ve had over the past four years, over something my daughter probably doesn’t know or fully understand.”
When you look at the school handbook, Rejoice does not address the topic of same-sex attraction. It does state that the school prohibits “boyfriend/girlfriend relationships.” The supposedly respected and conservative Tulsa-area institution describes itself as “a Christian school that provides students with excellence in education and strength in character so that students will be spiritually, intellectually, physically, and socially equipped to impact their community and the world for Christ.”
Chloe shared her feelings about what happened. She said that she felt “really sad and betrayed and kind of angry” because of what had happened. While she was left feeling isolated, she was also deeply touched by the supportive response those who heard her story. She shares to a radio station, “I feel so loved and supported, thank you so much to everyone who helped me feel better for being who I am.”
At this point, Delanie could only hope that her kinds find a better institution who will welcome them for who they are and who will accept them no matter what their preferences are.
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