Valedictorian shares his coming out story â even after principal tries to stop him
The principal crumpled his speech up into a ball so he recited it from memory.
By
Morgan Sung on June 28, 2021
A high school valedictorian s speech was cut short when he began speaking about his experience as an LGBTQ teenager and his mental health struggles. Despite protest from his principal and pressure to stick to a pre-approved speech, he continued anyway.
Bryce Dershem graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey, on June 17. The 18-year-old adorned his graduation robe with a rainbow flag, and his cap with the Black Lives Matter fist superimposed on the trans flag s stripes. He hoped his valedictorian address would inspire his classmates, who had completed high school amid a devastating pandemic and difficult remote learning.
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A high school valedictorian began a speech about his queer identity and mental health. Then his mic cut out.
Katie Shepherd, The Washington Post
June 25, 2021
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Rainbow flag flies against blue sky in the Castro. Pride flagNorberto Cuenca/Getty Images
When 18-year-old Bryce Dershem stepped up to the lectern at his New Jersey high school s graduation ceremony last week, he wanted to share how his battle with mental health was made even more difficult in a senior year marred by the coronavirus pandemic.
The class valedictorian, wearing maroon robes and a pride flag draped around his shoulders, began with the customary thank you for the parents, teachers and friends in the audience. Then, he launched into his own story.
Principal cuts the mic when valedictorian gives speech about coming out
By Alyssa Lukpat New York Times June 27, 2021 5:42pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Less than a minute into Bryce Dershem s valedictorian speech June 17, the microphone cut out. He had just told the audience at his New Jersey high school s graduation ceremony that he came out as queer in his freshman year.
When he made that revelation, Principal Robert Tull went to the back of the stage and appeared to unplug some cords, a video from the ceremony shows.
Suddenly, Dershem, 18, was silenced. Tull walked onstage and took the microphone from its stand.
UpdatedSun, Jun 27, 2021 at 11:27 pm ET
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The valedictorian at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey, has told media outlets the microphone was cut off during the part of his graduation speech that mentioned his queer identity. (Shutterstock)
VOORHEES TOWNSHIP, NJ The valedictorian of a high school in Camden County said he was censored by school administrators while delivering the end-of-the-year speech at graduation earlier this month. The graduate, Bryce Dershem, has told media outlets it was because he began talking about his queer identity during the speech.
It was when that part of Dershem s speech was about to come up when his mic was cut off, Dersham, the 2021 Eastern Regional High School valedictorian told The Washington Post and NBC.
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