Judge Backs Ban of Anti-Gay Shirt

A federal judge in Chicago has sided with a suburban school that banned anti-gay T-shirts.

A student wanted to wear a shirt that read "Be Happy, Not Gay" as part of a Christian campaign this week to oppose gay rights issues, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The school district thought the admonition to not be gay was derogatory and suggested the T-shirt could read "Be Happy, Be Straight," according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

U.S. District Judge Judge William Hart said the school did not violate the First Amendment because it offered the student alternatives. He refused to issue a preliminary injunction to allow the student to wear her shirt on Thursday.

A lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the student, says an appeal is planned.