Jordan Blue Source: Screen grab / CNN

November 13, 2018

Gay Student Says He Refused to Take Part in Purported 'Nazi Salute' Photo

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.

An openly gay student at Baraboo High School in Wisconsin explained to CNN what happened when the male members of his class were instructed to throw up a single arm gesture by a photographer – a pose that has been widely denounced as being the infamous Nazi salute.

The first post to possibly hint at darker meanings behind the photo was, evidently, a joking post put up by the photographer himself, Peter Gust, who is both a father to one of the young men in the photo and a former teacher, according to a story posted at Madison 365. "We even got the black kid to throw it up," the caption read, in part.

Another controversial signal was also in evidence, noted UK newspaper the Independent, which pointed out that a participant in the front row seemed to be throwing what the newspaper said was "an 'ok' sign, a symbol co-opted by followers of far-right and white supremacist movements."

Gust claimed that the gesture was "innocent" and represented the boys waving goodbye as they headed to the prom. The photo went viral after Gust posted it, Madison 365 reported; the photographer had posted a number of photos from last spring's prom, but took them all down and posted a message that read, "It is too bad that there are those in society who can and do take the time to be jerks; knowingly and willingly to be jerks! ... To anyone that was hurt I sincerely apologize."


But student Jordan Blue – who refused to go along with the crowd – shared a different take on the photo.

"It was clued by the photographer, but the way the students had taken it was out of control," said Blue, speaking in an on-air interview with CNN. "The photographer said to raise your hand, but he didn't say a specific way," and Blue's schoolmates opted to do so in an "offensive" way, the student recounted.

When asked whether there were "rumblings" from his classmates to "turn this into some sort of Nazi salute," Blue replied, "I did see the intent that was in some of my peers' arms, and at that moment I was uncomfortable."

The student went on to add, "I was very scared for the future," say that the salute was "not okay." He added that Baraboo "is a phenomenal community:" and "not a racist community," but said that the community is "distraught" at the image.

CBS News reported that the viral photo prompted a response from the Auschwitz Memorial, which tweeted, "This is why every single day we work hard to educate... Auschwitz with its gas chambers was at the very end of the long process of normalizing and accommodating hatred."


The superintendent of the Baraboo school district, Lori Mueller, said that the picture "is not reflective of the educational values and beliefs of the School District of Baraboo," she said. "We are investigating and will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal," the Independent reported. Mueller also contacted parents to say that photo seemed to depict "extremely inappropriate gestures."

To see the CNN video, click here.

by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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