UNCW students, faculty protest Senator Michael Lee receiving Razor Walker Award

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Senator Michael Lee received a Razor Walker Award on Tuesday night but it wasn’t all congratulations at the ceremony.

The Razor Walker Award is presented by the Watson College of Education. It’s given to four people or organizations for their commitment to the state’s children. Like its namesake, the recipients are “walking the razor’s edge” on behalf of kids and their families.

Senator Michael Lee received the award for his involvement in the construction of the Isaac Bear Early College Facility on UNCW’s campus.

Some students and faculty felt Lee was not deserving of the award because he is a sponsor of Senate Bill 49, known as the “Parent’s Bill of Rights” and nicknamed by some as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”

Proponents say the bill would give parents greater authority over their children’s education and health. But critics say it would harm young LGBTQ people.

The bill would require public school personnel to alert parents, in most circumstances, before calling their child by a different name or pronoun.

Dozens of students gathered outside the Burney Center before the ceremony began to protest Lee receiving the award. Holding signs that read, “It’s okay to say gay, Senator Lee” and chanting “Gay rights are human rights.”

In addition to the student protest outside, several faculty and members of the community invited to the ceremony demonstrated their disapproval inside. Several people were wearing rainbow flag pins and graphic t-shirts supporting LGBTQ+ rights, and some brought full-sized pride flags to drape over their chairs.

Dr. Caitlin Ryan is an associate professor at the Watson College of Education. She has a background in teaching LGTBQ topics in elementary education and is a queer parent herself.

“This isn’t a partisan issue, it’s just about acknowledging that my kid should get to see himself and his family in books the way that every kid should get to see themselves and their families and their communities in books,” Ryan said. “It just doesn’t feel like too much to ask to help teach kids about the world around them.”

People like Dr. Ryan and several of her colleagues walked out of the ceremony when Lee was presented the award. The group was met with loud cheers from students still outside that could be heard from within the banquet hall during the presentation.

Senator Lee says he supports the demonstrators and their right to free speech, though he feels what’s being said about the bill is not accurate.

“Essentially, it’s you can’t embed sexuality within the curriculum within the [kindergarten] through 4th grade and that’s the gist of it,” Lee said. “It doesn’t prevent kids and families from talking about their family environment, especially when asked.”

“To talk about sex with kids, I don’t want to do that and no one is advocating for that,” Ryan said. “The fact is, you can talk about straight people without talking about sex, you can talk about gay people and trans people and queer people without talking about sex because we’re people and we can talk about the peopleness.”

The senator says he does invite people who disagree with him or have any issues with other things happening in Raleigh, to reach out to him. 

“Talk to me and sit down and let’s have a healthy conversation. Sometimes I’ll learn something new, sometimes they’ll learn something new. Sometimes we’ll just agree to disagree,” Lee said.

The university shared a statement about the awards that reads, “As the Razor Walker Awards convey, recipients come from different backgrounds, walks of life, areas of the state, and professions. Because of that, they advocate for and support our children, families and communities in different ways, and sometimes as unique commitments that stand out from their other work and efforts. Sen. Michael Lee is receiving the award for his work with the educational community, most specifically his advocacy and support of the early college partnership between the university and the New Hanover County schools, support that without his direct engagement and sustained commitment the community would not have realized.”