LZHS’s Gay Straight Alliance club celebrated Ally Week October 17-21, along with many other schools and communities nationwide. Ally Week hosts events that serve to identify, support, and celebrate allies against anti-LGBT language bullying and harassment in American schools.
Members of GSA set up a table in the cafeteria during the week. GSA members encouraged their fellow peers to sign an Ally pledge.
“Anyone [could] sign up to pledge their support for the LGBT community; you don’t need to be a part of GSA,” said Amanda Strausser, junior and an active member of GSA. “You’re just pledging to say that you aren’t going to harass people and the idea if you see or hear something, say something. Tell a teacher, just like with all types of bullying.”
Students could sign the pledge sheet, which was set up like a petition. Students had to write their names and sign the sheet.
Vice president of GSA, Patrick Broderick, junior, was at the table in the cafeteria, explaining and educating his fellow students on the issues and informing them on what Ally Week is.
“Our purpose is to educate and raise awareness about the harassment of LGBT students,” Broderick said. “Last year, we had over 120 students sign the pledge sheet. Getting people to pledge their support to become an Ally means we’re moving forward, no matter what.”
GSA offered a variety of literature for students to take about what Ally Week is and information about what students could do to be a Straight Ally. Members present also advocated for students to wear purple on October 20. Wearing purple was an event to raise awareness about bullying of LGBT students and bullying, in general.
GSA will next focus on another national event to raise awareness about bullying of LGBT students, the National Day of Silence (April 20, 2012), a student- led action in which students take a vow of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.
Students and community members can take the pledge to become an Ally at http://www.allyweek.org/pledge.