Student stops graduation letter when talking about being LGBTQIA+ in the US; Watch the video

A high school student paused from his graduation speech when he started talking last week about his experience as an LGBTQIA+ student (see video above).

Bryce Dersheim, who was the class speaker, said he was censored by the principal of Eastern Regional High School in New Jersey, United State.

“I felt like they were trying to control what I was going to say, taking away parts of my identity that I’m really proud of,” Dersheim said in an NBC interview.

The recording of the speech shows an obvious technical problem when a young man talks about being gay – or not bisexual, which does not match the gender of the male and female.

It is then possible to see the principal, Robert Tal, approach and remove the microphone and papers that will be in an “unauthorized” copy of the letter.

Then the audience demands that the young man be able to speak again and that a new loudspeaker be given to the speaker who finishes his presentation “from his memory”.

“He pointed to the letter he had written to me, and told me I should speak of what was there, and nothing else,” said Dersham.

Bryce Dersheim, graduation speaker who was cut short when he talked about being an LGBTQIA+ student – Image: clone

Dersham said that a week after graduation, the board told him that the moment “was not a remedial session” and that his speech could not be given.

The young man said he worked on the “forbidden version” content with teachers and tried to use inclusive language. He even studied previous sermons.

“They talked about being the children of immigrants, about band rehearsals, school clubs, reality shows, and even about Bob Espunga,” the spokesperson said.

District School Principal Robert Cloutier said in a statement that he supports students in their educational experiences and believes in a “comprehensive message about the future.”

The principal did not comment on the issue until the last update of this report.