I'm reminded of Tyler Johnson, whom I wrote about recently when his high school in upstate New York censored his mentioning being gay and struggling with homophobic bullying. He had been selected to be honored in a school publication, but the school principal and district superintendent would not allow those comments in the publication, saying that they would foster controversy.

Tyler organized resistance and rallied a significant portion of his small community in opposition to the school district stance. Administrators quickly backtracked. Monday night, Tyler and dozens of others, from teenagers to grandparents, spoke to the school board while draped in rainbow flags.

They weren't doing it for attention. They were doing it to point out that rhetoric about avoiding controversy amounts to erasure. Current and former students at the high school wanted the board to clearly understand the negative mental health and social consequences of having to hide, of having their hiding enforced by people in power.

Some people in the community still don't get it. A local radio station host made fun of the flags while dissing Tyler. But much of the community DO get it, and positive change is in the air.