There is a school around the area that I live that wants to make an after school club for gays straights and lesbians, even though I do not attend that school I strongly disagree. I am a straight person and I have no problems with others that have different sexual perferances than I, but I think it is wrong to make a club for them. First of all by creating that club you are only putting the gays and lesbians up on a pedestal for others to harass for their way of life. They already have it tough but by trying to unite them, the school is pointing them out for others. I say it is best to leave them alone inststed of making their lives easier it would only make it worse. If the gays and lesbians have problems and need to confide in some one why not confide in a close friend, family member (if one is availble), or a teacher or the school counsler. If a club is needed so badly it should be made off of school grounds and kept secret from those who would want to target them. Thats all i have to say on that for now....
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I am straight and don't approve of homosexuality but i do have and love friends who happen to be homosexuals. i think it would be GREAT TO HAVE A CLUB LIKE THIS ONE. it would enable all groups to learn and understand each other and if not at least respect each other's choices without outward judgement. their is only one who should be allowed to judge...GOD. They may be gay but they are still people and should be treated like so rather that being isolated and hidden.
The most precious thing you have on this earth is your life, so don't waste it, because once its gone you don't want to regret not speaking your mind!!
i'm not saying they should be isolated, but a club where people can point them out is wrong, i never said that they should hide who they are but they should be careful many people have been killed for being gay or lesbian. I know many people who would never respect their choices because they are against it.
I think it depends the kind of place in which you live. My first high school and college had a GSA club and no one targeted us. But those are in New Orleans and Austin, so people are far more liberal than say somewhere like Oklahoma. Also, who's to say that everyone would know who the people in this club are? I don't know everyone who's in the physics club, african american club, football team,...etc.
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Denken. Nicht lesen.
Sure keeping the club off school grounds and kept a secret would make the club members safe for a while..... The problem with hiding things away is that it breeds misunderstanding, misunderstanding breeds fear and fear breeds prejudice.
The best way of breaking down barriers and making things safer is simply to stand up and be counted, not to be ashamed of who you are or what you believe. Sure this takes time but the rewards are massive.
The club should not only be on school grounds (or in the same location as all the other clubs) but should be promoted in exactly the same way as all the other clubs are. Being out in the open brings a sense of legitimacy for the club and its participants. It sends a message to those that would do harm that the club and its members are just another ordinary part of the daily existence of the school and should be respected as such.
The best thing that could happen to your school from the GLBT perspective is this club being out in the open.
Cathii
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I have to agree with Cathii on this. Keeping the club off of school grounds to "protect" members just allows for those barriers to remain in place all that much longer. It shouldn't have to be a secret.
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"It is never too late to give up your prejudices." Henry David Thoreau
"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side." Euripides
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Fallon
I know a school with a club like that. I support it 100%. There's no pedistals, just people accepting who each other are. If you are for something (like gay rights), you're going to fight for it, even if it gives someone else the more reason to make fun of you.
"How can you say mad when there's so much beauty in the world?"
I think it depends upon the nature of the club. The way you talk makes it sound like its a club just for gays and lesbians, which i dont agree with. exclusive clubs like 'christians only' or 'no straights allowed' will breed distrust and hatred. however, i helped start a GSA in my school, and i AM 100% straight. Most of the people there were straight people who just beleived in equal rights. This was evidenced by an incident that occured when we first started the group and were advertising.
I saw a white thug kid rip down one of our carefully handmade posters, saying 'GAY alliance? fuck that shit!' I immediately walk over to him, and say 'fuck YOUR shit. people like you are the reason we have to have a club like this in the first place.' The two minute warning bell rang, and i said 'im going to class, because people like you are not worht being late for.' He had nothing to say.
Hug a musician, they never get to dance.
Gay Straight Alliances are a very good idea for teenagers. You may think you know all about the subject, but you do not seem to know what they go through. Sure, in some places there might be an increase in harassment, but a lot of the time these clubs actually have a positive impact on communities. They get people to see these people aren't all that "strange and different." These clubs help to create a safe space for people to talk about issues that they deal with as gays, lesbians, or allies (and others).
I am the Vice President of the GSA at my school, but what I have noticed is that people fail to see the true purpose of our club. First of all, more than 50% of last years' members were straight. Second, we do not exist so that we can put ourselves on a pedestal for others to criticize. You argue that those who need to confide in someone should find a close friend, however often times people don't have close friends they feel comfortable talking to about their sexuality. We do not exist to set ourselves apart and make ourselves stand out for others' criticism, we simply create a friendly environment where those who are questioning their sexuality can feel comfortable around others who support them instead of having to dive head first into a world where the reaction is unsure. Someone who comes to a GSA meeting often times feels much more comfortable discussing the matter even if it is in front of strangers, because they know that most of the people in the room have been in the same situation and will support them.
What is your stance on Gay Pride Days then?
Pray for Peace
-Crissy
I ususally attend PRIDE with at least several of my straight friends and family. PRIDE is a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the modern Gay Rights movement. It is also about visibility, and not about setting ourselves apart.
percivale
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"Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici." ~ V.
Thank you for putting words to my thoughts!
Pray for Peace
-Crissy