Gay Florida Student Brilliantly Outsmarts School Administration Who Censored His Grad Speech
Senior Class President Zander Moricz was ready to give his commencement speech at the graduation ceremony of Pine View School in Osprey, Florida, but was forced to change his plans.
Turns out, the principal called Moricz into his office and warned him that the school would not tolerate if his graduation speech referenced his activism or role as a plaintiff in his lawsuit. In fact, the principal went as far as to threaten the student that the school administration would cut off his microphone, end his speech and halt the ceremony.
Moricz tweeted the incident on his account, stating “I am being silenced, and I need your help,” where he received huge support and more than 153k likes. The 18-year-old said the decision to censor his speech was “dehumanizing,” but he didn’t want to risk ruining the ceremony for his fellow students.
So he did what he was told to– never mentioned the word “gay,” but made his point right in their face anyway. Can we give this smart man a well-deserved minute of standing ovations, everyone?!
The senior class president and openly gay Zender Moricz has recently shared how his high school principal threatened to cut off his microphone if he talked about his activism and used the word “gay”
Image credits: zandermoricz
Zander Moricz, a senior and the president of his graduating class at Pine View School in Osprey, Florida, tweeted that he was being “silenced” in a thread two weeks ago. He wrote: “My principal called me into his office and informed me that if my graduation speech referenced my activism or role as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, school administration had a signal to cut off my microphone, end my speech, and halt the ceremony.”
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
The 18-year-old teen is also one of the youngest plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the state of Florida over the “Parental Rights in Education” law. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that the law harms LGBTQ students and families and violates their First Amendment right to freedom of speech, as well as their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.
Image credits: zandermoricz
Image credits: zandermoricz
The Parental Rights in Education bill was signed March 28 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). The law prevents teachers in kindergarten through third grade from discussing gender and sexual orientation in class and restricts what teachers can say in upper grades to what is developmentally appropriate, without saying what that is. The law goes into effect July 1.
A lawsuit has been filed against Gov. DeSantis by several LGBTQ rights advocates in an effort to block the law. “This effort to control young minds through state censorship — and to demean LGBTQ lives by denying their reality — is a grave abuse of power,” is what the lawsuit alleges.
Moricz was not allowed to talk about his activism but he came up with a brilliant way to shred “Don’t Say Gay” law in this censored graduation speech
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Moricz expressed his worry ahead of the speech but told Good Morning America on Monday that he felt the support from his fellow classmates and peers. Some of them wore “Say Gay” stickers and stood up and cheered during his speech Sunday.
He said: “There was a lot of hate and a lot of fear surrounding the speech about what people were going to do if someone was going to react poorly because it was really present in the community – that hatred and that fear – and so I was worried and I knew that there was a potential to cut the mic.”
Here is the recording of Moricz’s now-viral speech that outsmarted the ban from the school administration
Image credits: Liz Ballard
Many people praised Moricz for his witty speech and activism
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Remind me again which country proclaims itself to be the land of the free? Where the countrymen and women will brag about how they have real freedom? Not like the freedoms other countries enjoy.
Just a friendly reminder that China's 3 no laws allow for more freedom of speech than Florida's don't say gay law. Your move patriots.
Load More Replies...
Good for him standing up for what's right. Also if Roe vs. Wade gets overturned, then the US is truly moving backwards. No government should have the right to tell a person what to do with their bodies barring public health hazards. A woman choosing to abort isn't a public health hazard.
I’m from the fuuuutre lol. Bad news: Roe v Wade turned to the states, and lawsuits to not serve queer customers were fought- and won by the wrong side. Conservative justices are the majority. Everywhere I go, I see political signs(I’m Texan): “____: Republican” or “_____: conservative leadership.” I’m legit going to move when I’m able.
Load More Replies... Republicans whine, cry, and scream constantly about “free speech” when it comes to private platforms like Twitter not giving them a voice for their hatred, but when the actual suppression of free speech comes about by the actual government, they cheer and praise the idiot who is actively taking their rights away. Don’t ever let anyone try to fool you into believing republicans are the party of freedom in this country. They actually hate real freedom.
Remember when the right wing of the US called the left wing snowflakes? (oh, wait. They still do) But they are going to have a meltdown over a kid saying he's gay. I get so tired of this big government minority rule BS the republican party is all about.
Just what the f**k is going on over in the USA right now? Has some sort of lunatic religious cult taken over the government and begun dragging you back into the 17th century? The USA used to be a country people could admire, now it is fast becoming a salutary lesson in what happens when the lunatics take over the asylum. What has gone wrong guys?
Yeah, sorry. My Christian conservative countrymen have taken it over(and yes, I mean MEN).
Load More Replies... I'm a Boomer. Believe it or not folks, we too were a force to be reckoned with when we were young. So many things that needed to be changed during those times. Some died for it. Many Pandas will remember Kent State. This young man gives me so much faith for the future. His generation will not back down. It helps me believe that everything will eventually be ok. Don't ever give up. Don't ever back down. There is so much at stake.
Florida is run by a governor who is becoming more like a dictator everyday. It's disgusting.
I’m bi, and even though I don’t live in Florida talking about it is hard for me. Although, I’m pretty sure my mom has figured it out
Tell her. Let her love whoever you are. Then maybe it won't be so hard, when Mom is holding your hand.
Load More Replies... This reminds me of the Section 28 Laws introduced by Thatcher in the 80s. Her party had a real problem with anyone who was gay. It took two more PMs for this law to be overturned (in England) and some 20 years. The US has a split personality on Freedom of Speech, you can be a racist or a nazi but you can't just be an ordinary gay citizen. Being gay doesn't affect the rights of others, doesn't do any harm to anyone and yet the right wing spend a LOT of their time worrying about it. I have never understood this nor heard any explanation for it either..
It is time to lower the voting age to 16. These young people are already taking part in democracy, but they don't get a full share. I think a big city like San Francisco, Seattle, or Portland should propose lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 for local elections. If it is successful in those cities, it may spread to other urban areas.
I completely LOVE this kid! As a (retired) public speaking teacher, this kid gets an A+ for creativity and moxy.
He was fantastic! Brilliant speech and he's only 18 - wow - I think he will go far
Love Florida, one of my old friends moved there as a kid (very British) and for some bizarre reason you guys need to swear allegiance every day at school (um brainwashing!!) so for some reason they asked him to the the love my country as I'm so stupid I need to be reminded every day speech... He got into a lot of trouble for everyone just swearing their allegiance to the crown and the United Kingdom.. Lol. I mean a country where your news channels have a blonde repeating a perfectly good explanation. lol so much.
I wish I could start an LGBTQ club at my school, but my school is fairly conservative and I'm still closeted. Plus I'm not sure people would join if they want to stay in the closet.
Historians will tell you that multiple empires fell precisely because they accepted humans be humans in all their forms. I and logic disagree. Empires fell because they couldn’t take that step beyond tolerance to acceptance. If we ever find a way beyond tolerance to arms wrapped around each other because we can do better together. There’s no telling what we can achieve but I guarantee you it’s so much better than what we have now.
Ah bless, go take your thinly veiled homophobia and shove it.
Load More Replies...
Did you ever ask WHY DeSantis wanted to pass such a bill, when teaching gender studies to kids this age NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE? It was a stepping stone to shut down support for LGBTQIA people. And it's working, this boy's story proves it.
Load More Replies...
You do understand what a valedictory is, right? It's the valedictorians farewell speech, their, farewell speech. When you're valedictorian you can say whatever you want. Ironic that your comment was so shortsighted.
Load More Replies...
Sure. Deny all the world's problems. They'll still exist.
Load More Replies... Remind me again which country proclaims itself to be the land of the free? Where the countrymen and women will brag about how they have real freedom? Not like the freedoms other countries enjoy.
Just a friendly reminder that China's 3 no laws allow for more freedom of speech than Florida's don't say gay law. Your move patriots.
Load More Replies... Good for him standing up for what's right. Also if Roe vs. Wade gets overturned, then the US is truly moving backwards. No government should have the right to tell a person what to do with their bodies barring public health hazards. A woman choosing to abort isn't a public health hazard.
I’m from the fuuuutre lol. Bad news: Roe v Wade turned to the states, and lawsuits to not serve queer customers were fought- and won by the wrong side. Conservative justices are the majority. Everywhere I go, I see political signs(I’m Texan): “____: Republican” or “_____: conservative leadership.” I’m legit going to move when I’m able.
Load More Replies... Republicans whine, cry, and scream constantly about “free speech” when it comes to private platforms like Twitter not giving them a voice for their hatred, but when the actual suppression of free speech comes about by the actual government, they cheer and praise the idiot who is actively taking their rights away. Don’t ever let anyone try to fool you into believing republicans are the party of freedom in this country. They actually hate real freedom.
Remember when the right wing of the US called the left wing snowflakes? (oh, wait. They still do) But they are going to have a meltdown over a kid saying he's gay. I get so tired of this big government minority rule BS the republican party is all about.
Just what the f**k is going on over in the USA right now? Has some sort of lunatic religious cult taken over the government and begun dragging you back into the 17th century? The USA used to be a country people could admire, now it is fast becoming a salutary lesson in what happens when the lunatics take over the asylum. What has gone wrong guys?
Yeah, sorry. My Christian conservative countrymen have taken it over(and yes, I mean MEN).
Load More Replies... I'm a Boomer. Believe it or not folks, we too were a force to be reckoned with when we were young. So many things that needed to be changed during those times. Some died for it. Many Pandas will remember Kent State. This young man gives me so much faith for the future. His generation will not back down. It helps me believe that everything will eventually be ok. Don't ever give up. Don't ever back down. There is so much at stake.
Florida is run by a governor who is becoming more like a dictator everyday. It's disgusting.
I’m bi, and even though I don’t live in Florida talking about it is hard for me. Although, I’m pretty sure my mom has figured it out
Tell her. Let her love whoever you are. Then maybe it won't be so hard, when Mom is holding your hand.
Load More Replies... This reminds me of the Section 28 Laws introduced by Thatcher in the 80s. Her party had a real problem with anyone who was gay. It took two more PMs for this law to be overturned (in England) and some 20 years. The US has a split personality on Freedom of Speech, you can be a racist or a nazi but you can't just be an ordinary gay citizen. Being gay doesn't affect the rights of others, doesn't do any harm to anyone and yet the right wing spend a LOT of their time worrying about it. I have never understood this nor heard any explanation for it either..
It is time to lower the voting age to 16. These young people are already taking part in democracy, but they don't get a full share. I think a big city like San Francisco, Seattle, or Portland should propose lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 for local elections. If it is successful in those cities, it may spread to other urban areas.
I completely LOVE this kid! As a (retired) public speaking teacher, this kid gets an A+ for creativity and moxy.
He was fantastic! Brilliant speech and he's only 18 - wow - I think he will go far
Love Florida, one of my old friends moved there as a kid (very British) and for some bizarre reason you guys need to swear allegiance every day at school (um brainwashing!!) so for some reason they asked him to the the love my country as I'm so stupid I need to be reminded every day speech... He got into a lot of trouble for everyone just swearing their allegiance to the crown and the United Kingdom.. Lol. I mean a country where your news channels have a blonde repeating a perfectly good explanation. lol so much.
I wish I could start an LGBTQ club at my school, but my school is fairly conservative and I'm still closeted. Plus I'm not sure people would join if they want to stay in the closet.
Historians will tell you that multiple empires fell precisely because they accepted humans be humans in all their forms. I and logic disagree. Empires fell because they couldn’t take that step beyond tolerance to acceptance. If we ever find a way beyond tolerance to arms wrapped around each other because we can do better together. There’s no telling what we can achieve but I guarantee you it’s so much better than what we have now.
Ah bless, go take your thinly veiled homophobia and shove it.
Load More Replies... Did you ever ask WHY DeSantis wanted to pass such a bill, when teaching gender studies to kids this age NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE? It was a stepping stone to shut down support for LGBTQIA people. And it's working, this boy's story proves it.
Load More Replies... You do understand what a valedictory is, right? It's the valedictorians farewell speech, their, farewell speech. When you're valedictorian you can say whatever you want. Ironic that your comment was so shortsighted.
Load More Replies... Sure. Deny all the world's problems. They'll still exist.
Load More Replies...
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