April 19 :
An anti-bullying speech by well-known Indian American homosexual actor and playwright Maulik Pancholy has been cancelled at a Pennsylvania school due to his "lifestyle."
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania's Mountain View Middle School was supposed to host Pancholy on May 22. Nevertheless, during an Apr. 15 meeting of the Cumberland Valley School District, a conservative activist and freshly elected board member named Kelly Potteiger voiced her opposition to Pancholy's event.
The voice actor has lent his voice to several animated series, including Sanjay and Craig, Phineas and Ferb, and 30 Rock's hyper-attentive personal assistant. He has also penned two novels for young adults. Teenage protagonists in both "Nikhil Out Loud" and "The Best At It" are exploring their sexuality. Texas and Florida have passed laws prohibiting the use of the song "The Best At It" in the classroom.
Act To Change, a nonprofit dedicated to combating bullying, was also founded by Pancholy.
Potteiger expressed her unease at the prospect of Pancholy discussing his novels at the school board meeting. "That's his choice, and it's not discriminatory against his lifestyle," Potteiger said with a mournful tone. "He did mention that his books cover that subject, but it isn't the focus of his speech," she said.
School board member Bud Shaffner expressed his disapproval of the individual's lifestyle choices, saying, "I don't think that should be imposed on our students." The individual in question defines himself as an activist and takes pride in his decisions. That next night, the school board decided to cancel Pancholy's anti-bullying event with an 8-0 vote.
Pancholy said in a Facebook and Instagram post that he found out about the school board's decision through social media. "My deepest sympathies are with the students and the entire Mountain View Middle School community," he expressed.
"My 'activism' in visiting schools is to make sure that every student feels recognised and heard. To express how much they are valued. "It never ceases to amazes me how many young people, from all walks of life, stand up when I talk about how my book characters feel different from them. They want to talk about how they feel different, too," Pancholy remarked. That is the influence of literature. They foster compassion. Why is a school board so worried about that?
To get Pancholy's appearance back in the Cumberland Valley School District, a group of concerned parents have launched a petition drive.
In an interview with New India Abroad, Desi Rainbow Parents and Allies founder Aruna Rao expressed her utter dismay at the school board's decision to scold Pancholy. The fact that a popular actor is the target of criticism is very disheartening to me. With the help of his celebrity, Maulik is able to provide assistance to at-risk youth. Young, LGBT, transgender people look forward to him as an exemplary role model since he is not extreme. For the LGBTQIA+ community of South Asian American origin, Desi Rainbow is a sanctuary.
The savage beating death of Nex Benedict, a non-binary student in Oklahoma, who was 16 years old, occurred not long after the censure of Pancholy, as pointed out by Rao. By taking this move, the school board is teaching children that it is unacceptable to identify as queer or transgender. She went on to warn that if the school board condemns bullying transgender students, then students will see it as a green light to bully transgender children.
Most people don't notice that there are gay individuals of colour. "The visibility of Pancholy is important to the community," Rao said, emphasising the erasure of queer and trans identities. His return is something I'm hoping for. After hearing Maulik speak, she hoped that other schools would follow suit.
Kunal Mukherjee criticised the school board's decision as "blatant homophobia." His groundbreaking novel "My Magical Palace" dealt with the coming-to-terms of a gay boy in India. Kids nowadays are having a hard time at school for several reasons, one of which is bullying. The movie adaptation of the author's work was based on her belief that bullying is a leading cause of youth suicide since bullied children have no one to talk to. "Anyone who is perceived as different is the target of bullying," Mukherjee stated. "Cancelling someone who wants to talk about bullying is absolutely outrageous." A golden chance has passed the school board by. According to Mukherjee, they will be held responsible for the deaths of children.
