Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
5th Grader Gets To Give His Gay Marriage Speech, But Students Don't Have To Listen
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jun 15, 2012
Modified Jun 15, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
NY1
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jun 15, 2012
Modified Jun 15, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
This morning's depressing story about a fifth-grader being barred by his principal from giving a speech about gay marriage has gotten a happy ending—sort of. Though awesome Queens 10-year-old Kameron Slade ended up giving a speech about animal cruelty to his peers today, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott says that he will be allowed to give his original speech on Monday. The catch is that other students don't have listen...if their parents don't want them to.
"I think the young man has the right to give a speech," Walcott told reporters today. He then qualified his feelings on the situation, explaining that while the speech will go forward on Monday, parents have the option to pull their students out of the assembly. "It’s something that the principal felt that she needed to do more due diligence with her parent community because of the topic of the speech itself. This extra day will give her the ability to reach out to those parents to make them aware of the content of the speech—because we’re talking about an elementary school."
Yup, we're talking about an elementary school, and a kid who quite nicely argues that you should talk to kids about big issues like this.
Other pols, meanwhile, are piling onto the issue. For instance: "At a time when Marriage Equality is the law of our state, we should not stifle students from engaging this issue on their own terms and in their own ways," Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said on the topic. "Kameron’s speech is a heartfelt expression of understanding that deserves to be commended. He has shown far more maturity than the adults in his school. His voice should be heard, not sidelined."
And really, this kid's voice and message of acceptance and tolerance should be heard. Luckily, Think Progress went and posted the NY1 video of the speech onto YouTube. Enjoy!
Tagged
dennis walcott
DOE
kameron slade
ps 195
queens
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
Our 2026 New Jersey voter’s guide for this year’s midterm elections.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 11:01 a.m. ET
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
News
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
Are NJ schools unconstitutionally segregated? It's back to the courts to decide.
By
Colleen O'Dea
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
By
James Ramsay
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .