Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) is a club started in 1998 by gay rights activists who were trying to fight homophobia and transphobia in schools.
This club is not just for homosexuals and transgenders. It is also for straight kids in the school to come together, raise awareness, and support other kids in the school.
Should Delphi begin this club? Of course we should. Although we don’t have a very big school, it is important for this school and community to understand and support homosexuality, transgender, and gender identity issues. In the state of Indiana, there are 51 schools with this club. Why not make it 52?
Despite the small size, and the fact that heterosexuality makes up most of the population, we do have people in our community dealing with these issues personally. If they are publically open about their sexuallity, many deal with threats, name calling, and all around bullying due to the lack of education from the community. A source from www.civilrights.org states thats according to the FBI’s HCSA reports, gay men and lesbians have consistently been the third most frequent target of hate violence over the past decade. A lot of this has to do with the lack of conversation about it. It’s not really openly spoken of in a positive way. This club would help do that.
“Setting aside one’s insecurities about a particular group or anything for that matter can make a huge difference in many people’s lives. Coming together as one filling the void of the unknown and showing support is key to peace and tranquility,” said former Delphi student, Jalen Heise.
If we had this club, it would bring needed awareness and help kids dealing with bullying and personal issues. It would also help kids who want to support and help them come together. This is not just a club for homosexuals and transgender people to come together and protest. This club is for anyone of any sexuality to come together to raise awareness and educate others on this very controversial topic. It’s 2013. Let’s start getting educated on topics we fear or do not fully understand.
