Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Kansas 13-Year-Old Kicked Off School Bus By Driver For Telling Her Friend 'I'm A Lesbian'

Kansas 13-Year-Old Kicked Off School Bus By Driver For Telling Her Friend 'I'm A Lesbian'
KSNT News/YouTube

13-year-old Izzy Dieker of Kansas was recently punished for using "inappropriate language" around her peers while riding the school bus.

According to the school bus driver, the word "lesbian" should be on the list of inappropriate words. 


Dieker is an eighth-grader at the Americus School in the North Lyon County District in Kansas. She reportedly lives more than 30 minutes away from the school.

While talking to her friends on the bus, Dieker expressed to her friends she was a lesbian.

After getting off the bus that afternoon, Dieker received a surprise.

"Once I got home, my dad told me he got a call from the school that I was kicked off for saying 'I'm a lesbian'."

Dieker's mother, Tasha Cooper, struggled to get answers from the school administration.

The school would not openly discuss the case, but they also stated the family did not have to follow the bus driver's orders.

Cooper reflected:

"She's 13-years old, and these are adults acting like this towards her."
"We've had talks about other students calling her names, and I expect that because they're repeating what their parents say."
"But for the staff, the people that I trust her with, I was angry."

Fortunately, there were people in the district who showed support for the family. 

After hearing about what happened, a teacher in the district, Michael Lanzrath, distributed rainbow pins to the faculty and staff to wear to recognize and represent their support of Dieker.

Lanzrath believes support is vital at this age, and it's something he wished he had received when he was younger.

Lanzrath stated:

"I really just wanted to let Izzy know that there are people that absolutely support her."
"Our job as educators is to make sure that all our kids are taken care of."
"To us, all means all."

The support hearteningly radiated out to the Twitterverse, where followers spoke up and expressed their support for Dieker, her personal expression and her continued education.

Some Twitter users said:






It's unclear if anything will be done about how the bus driver addressed the situation, or how Dieker will go to and from school, but it's certain she has support in her school district and community.

More from News/lgbtq

Martin Scorsese
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images

People Are Loving Martin Scorsese’s Emotional Reaction To Receiving His First Acting Emmy Nomination

Martin Scorsese is a household name for a reason. He's been a multifaceted actor, an Oscar-winning director, and a multi-Emmy-winner for his directing and production.

But for the first time ever, Martin Scorsese has been nominated for his acting chops in Apple TV's The Studio, in which he played himself, for this year's Emmy awards.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anna Camp
Araya Doheny/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation

Anna Camp Hilariously Uses Still From 'You' To Respond To Emmy Nomination Snub

Entertainment industry awards can feel unfair at times, with some works winning perhaps more than they should, and others being snubbed when they should have at least been in the running.

Actor Anna Camp, who wrapped up five seasons of audience-favorite You, showed her complicated feelings on the show—and not being nominated for an Emmy—in a post on Instagram.

Keep ReadingShow less
Billy McFarland
Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Billy McFarland Just Auctioned Off The Fyre Festival Brand On eBay—And McFarland's Reaction Says It All

You know Billy McFarland, the supposed impresario who went to jail when his tropical Fyre Festival music bash went up in flames and stranded hundreds of people on a completely deserted Caribbean island?

Well, the ultimate grifter is out of jail, and after yet another failed attempt at scamming people with a reborn Fyre Festival in 2024, he's now conned someone into buying the fest's brand—by auctioning it off on eBay.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack Obama; Michelle Obama
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson/YouTube

Barack And Michelle Obama Shoot Down Divorce Rumors: 'Don't Make Me Cry Now'

On Wednesday, former Democratic President Barack Obama appeared on the IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson podcast. In the almost one and a half hour episode, the former POTUS, FLOTUS, and Mrs. Obama's elder brother covered a number of topics.

But one that drew considerable attention was when the former first couple addressed rumors of a possible divorce in their future.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nick Offerman
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

Nick Offerman Explains Why Ron Swanson Would Have 'Despised Trump' In Response To 'Dumb' Fan Theory

Speaking to IndieWire, actor Nick Offerman, best known for playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, put to rest "dumb" fan theories that the iconic character, a proud libertarian, would have backed President Donald Trump and his administration.

Offerman portrayed Ron on all seven seasons of the NBC sitcom, which aired 126 episodes from 2009 to 2015. He is protective of the character and has pushed back against efforts to co-opt Ron Swanson for causes the character would not endorse.

Keep ReadingShow less