Mechanicsburg, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania school district has canceled an upcoming appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulvi Pancholi after district leaders cited concerns about his activism and “lifestyle.” had gone.
Pancholi, who is gay, was scheduled to speak against bullying during an assembly at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland County on May 22. However, the district’s school board voted unanimously Monday night to cancel his talk after some members raised concerns and others overtly overruled the district’s policy of not hosting political events. Noted. The policy was enacted after the district was criticized for hosting a rally by Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Pancholi, 48, is an award-winning actor, with roles in the television shows “30 Rock” and “Weds” and as the voice of Biljit in the Disney animated series “Phineas and Ferb.” He has also written children’s books and in 2014 was nominated by then-President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where he addressed AAPI bullying. A campaign was jointly founded.
Pancholi’s appearance was decided by the school’s leadership team, which selects a writer each year to offer a “unique educational experience for students,” according to the district.
Discussing the appearance at Monday night’s meeting, school board members said they didn’t know what Pancholi would talk about, but one member said they “didn’t want to risk” what it would entail. Can be included.
Bud Schaffner said, “If you research this individual, he labels himself as an activist. According to Pennlive. “They are proud of their lifestyle, and I don’t think that should be imposed on our students at any age.”
The board’s vote drew criticism from several parents, students and community members who called the decision “homophobic.” Some people have started online petitions calling for Pancholi’s appearance to be reinstated.
In a statement Posting on social media, Pancholi said that as a middle school student she never saw self-representation in stories, and that books that included South Asian-American or LGBTQ+ characters “existed were not.” He said that when he started writing his novels years later, he was still hard pressed to find those stories.
“This is why I wrote my books in the first place,” Pancholi wrote. “Because representation matters.”
Pancholi said the purpose of his school visit “is to let all the young people know that they are seen. To let them know that they matter.” When he talks about his characters feeling “different,” he says he’s always surprised how many kids of different identities and backgrounds want to share that they feel different, too.
“That is the power of books. They create empathy,” wrote Pancholi. “I wonder why the school board is so afraid of this?”
Credit : apnews.com
