A high school in Onoway, Alta., is facing criticism for covering up a student’s mural that depicted two young men kissing.
A Facebook group entitled "Petition for OHS painting" was created on Friday, after Onoway Junior-Senior High School covered up the painting a day earlier.
The group, which has close to 200 members, was inspired by 16-year-old student Kaela Wilton's mural.
Wilton told CTV Edmonton that when she pitched the concept a few weeks ago, her art teacher and principal gave their approval. Her painting, which features two men embracing and exchanging a kiss, was inspired by her desire to deliver a positive message about gay rights.
"I wanted to do something controversial," she said.
"Gay rights are something I've always felt strongly about," she added.
The school has a long tradition of allowing art students to empress themselves on school walls.
However, Wilton says last week she was called down to the school's office and told that the mural needed to be covered up. And when she arrived at school on Thursday, she was shocked to discover that a billboard had been placed on top of her painting.
"I was shocked and upset, and I felt like they just walked all over me and I felt betrayed," she said.
Pinned to the billboard in multi-coloured lettering was the statement "Come as you are?"
Two paper cut-outs of a lesbian and gay couple were also part of the collage. The billboard was taken down on Friday.
Members of the Facebook group expressed their confusion and outrage on Friday. Many don't understand why Wilton's painting was initially given approval and then covered up.
"This is Canada where it has been legal to marry whomever you want for many years now, and in the past there has been murals showing two people kissing, so I want to know what the difference is," said Shea Martynek in a Facebook post.
"Every mural must be approved by faculty before it is put on the wall, and (Wilton) has been working on this for a very long time, my biggest issue is that they let her finish her beautiful piece of art and then just covered it."
Another poster says her daughter changed her mural in protest. She posted a picture showing a wall covered in white paint with the text "Freedom of Expression" in the middle.
Wilton's brother, Jay Branston, 15, said in an interview over the phone that some students at the school wanted the mural removed as soon as Wilton began to work on the project.
"There are some homophobic people in the school and they started a petition to get it taken down," said the 15-year-old, who is also a student at Onoway.
The school's principal, James Trodden, said that he was behind the new display. He explained that depictions of kissing are not allowed in the school.
"We had looked at that and said, you know, kissing isn't allowed in the school so the painting was covered for about half a day," he said.
Trodden plans to speak students, parents and other community members before he makes a final decision on the future of the mural.
In the meantime, Wilton has been allowed to create her own cover up for the mural in case it is censored permanently. And once again, Wilton hopes to craft something meaningful and stirring.
"I want the comfortable to feel uncomfortable and the uncomfortable to feel comfortable," she said.
