Jackson Free Press

A group of approximately 10 baseball cap-wearing high school boys have a message for students attempting to form a gay-straight alliance at their high school: "Don't Tread on Me."

Next to the infamous coiled snake flag draped over their upperclassmen buddy's Jeep, the boys stood in the Rankin County School District office parking lot Tuesday afternoon and expressed their disapproval of a group's desire to form a GSA at Brandon High School.

"Being gay has nothing to do with schooling," BHS student Taylor Sills said.

The young Tea Partiers referenced their religious beliefs when stating they don't approve of the GSA.

"I mean I know God hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes, I mean yeah," another student, Dean Arnold, said. "We hang out with other people, too. It's just that they're making a bigger scene out of it than necessary."

The boys were there as a "counter protest" to a http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/jan/20/brandon-gay-straight-protest-planned-today/">demonstration held by the GSA and its supporters. Around 40 parents, students and friends gathered on the grassy knoll between the RCSD offices and the highway to protest the district's decision to limit the ability of schools to form LGBT groups.

They held signs to show their support for Brandon High School's Gay-Straight Alliance—which is in the process of becoming an official school club, but must hurdle over a new rule which requires students to obtain parent signatures to form or join a new club. Tenth-grader Presley Lane, one of the GSA's board members, said the district's actions make her feel unwelcome.

But apparently the Patagonia-clad teens in the parking lot believe they are the ones being tread on.

Correction, 1/20, 10:42 p.m.: This story originally stated that the high school boys borrowed the "Don't Tread on Me" flag from one of their dads. It actually belongs to student Dean Arnold, who contacted the Jackson Free Press to clarify. We apologize for the error.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2015/jan/20/20030/">https://jacksonfreepress.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2015/01/20/dontradonme_1_t500x332.jpg?a9778910f5775c1b6b4cc3435192efb709c5788f" alt="Brandon High School students express disapproval of their peers' attempts at creating a gay-straight alliance at their school.">

https://jacksonfreepress.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2015/01/20/dontradonme_1_t500x332.jpg?a9778910f5775c1b6b4cc3435192efb709c5788f">Brandon High School students express disapproval of their peers' attempts at creating a gay-straight alliance at their school. by AnnaWolfe