Oregon's 2014 Teacher of Year fired today. Had been warned not to speak about being gay.

[madfloridian]

4. More about why he takes his stands.

From 2014

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/05/gay_marriage_in_oregon_oregons.html

The couple has also long worried about the rights Turay would have if Bigham ever went to the hospital in an emergency. Bigham had a heart attack two years ago, and Turay wants to make sure he would be able visit him in a hospital room.

In a state that wouldn't recognize their domestic partnership, for example, they could be separated at the hospital door, Bigham said.

"They wouldn't recognize him as family, so he would not be allowed to sit in the room with me," he said. "I don't want to put him through that."

Bigham also wants to use his position at teacher of the year to make statements on gay rights and preventing gay teen suicide.

He said he had a friend who killed himself when he was 15, which makes the statistics on teen suicide hit particularly close to home.

"I figured that being out as the teacher of the year might keep a kid or two from going in that direction," he said.