Courageous Love: Phil Kroner

On January 24, 2011, I stood with Philip Kroner, a member of the School Board of the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Public Schools as he presented an amendment to the Human Growth and Development Policy for the Wauwatosa School District. The Wauwatosa School District, like so many in our nation, are deeply concerned about bullying — but current policies about protection from bullying were not supported by instruction on human diversity and dignity.

Philip Kroner proposed that the Human Growth and Development Policy include instruction regarding understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity, provide resources for students who have additional questions about these issues, and identify and discourage discriminatory and/or bullying behavior based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Thanks to Philip, I was able to testify in support of this policy, and remind the School Board that for GBLTQ students, having GBLTQ issues acknowledged can be a lifesaver. We spoke of the many high-profile suicides of students around our nation who had been bullied for being gay or lesbian, or for being “suspected” of being gay. We spoke of the need for students to know they had resources and supportive adults to go to if they were targeted by bullies.

I am proud of Phillip Kroner — who also is a member of UU Church West, in Brookfield, Wisconsin — for standing up for all students in our public schools, and proud of our Wauwatosa School Board for passing this policy change.