NEWARK, N.J., June 23 (UPI)

A gay-rights group wants a New Jersey school superintendent to apologize for ordering her staff to black out a photo of a gay high school couple kissing. Garden State Equality says Newark School Superintendent Marion Bolden was wrong to censor the photo from yearbooks at East Side High School, The (New Jersey) Star-Ledger reported Saturday. This action by the school district will have an unspeakably vile chilling effect on other gay and lesbian students coming out, said Equality spokesman Steven Goldstein. It’s wrong and it’s ridiculous. The photo showed graduating senior Andre Jackson kissing his boyfriend David Escobales on the lips. Bolden deemed the photo illicit and had it blacked out by school staff before the yearbooks were distributed Thursday, The Star-Ledger reported. Several photos of heterosexual students kissing were left untouched in the yearbook.

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