Teen Wins Playboy Award After Defending Gay Students

After fighting for the rights of her gay and lesbian peers, a senior at a Florida high school has been honored by the Playboy Foundation with the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award.

Heather Gillman won a First Amendment case against the Ponce de Leon High School -- located in Florida's panhandle -- after her principal banned any sort of symbol or slogan that supported gay rights, and suspended at least 11 students for doing just that. After Gillman was reprimanded for defending a gay student who had been harassed, she returned to school wearing symbols of support including the rainbow flag and the initials G P for "gay pride." Her principal told her exhibiting symbols of gay pride was not allowed because it was "disruptive" and made students imagine sex.

But in May of this year, the United State District Court ordered the school to stop its unconstitutional censorship of students, and warned the district not to retaliate against students over the lawsuit.

"Heather Gillman is a courageous young woman who is most deserving of this very prestigious First Amendment award," said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, in a release. "She exercised leadership and honesty when she stood up to the school's principal and the school board on behalf of the rights of gay students and we congratulate her."

This week, Gillman and her mother will travel to Washington, D.C. to be honored at an October 21 awards gala where she will receive the award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize that she plans to put toward college. (Neal Broverman, The Advocate)

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