Twelve Year Old Stands Up for Bullied LGBTQ Kids, Won’t Be Cancelled

The school play he rehearsed for two months was cancelled, but his message is reverberating far beyond his local community

Oliver Baez, screenshot from Associated Press video reporting. He and his parents consented to distribution of his video interview.

It was awful for the school to cancel it, it’s like saying that ‘LGBTQ should not be included in a society.’ Which is really awful and cruel.

— Oliver Baez

Warning: mention of suicide and suicidal ideation

And a little child shall lead them

Oliver Baez, who is 12 years old, lives in the small Wyoming town of Wheatland, population 3,627. Before and after the Christmas break, he spent about two months rehearsing a school anti-bullying play that included several skits. His parents say they’re proud of how hard he and his middle-school friends worked to bring their lines (and their compassion) to life.

Then at the last minute, the school canceled the entire play, especially because of Oliver’s role. He was shocked, sad, and angry — which I think you might be too when you hear the details.

“It was sad the principal couldn’t stand up for what was right and got misguided by old mindsets,” Oliver’s mom Cassie Baez wrote in an email to reporters, beginning a…