By Shalei Holway
April at Lincoln-Sudbury was “GSA” month, filled with events, displays, and activities all sponsored by the Gay-Straight Alliance. The club dedicated the month to educating students about gay issues.
Every week, the club had a different event. The first week, one club member wrote a blurb about her experience with a friend who is gay, which was displayed on bulliten boards throughout the school. On Wednesday of that week, the club hosted a showing of Will and Grace episodes and afterwards discussed the impact of media on people’s perceptions of the gay community.
The following week, a visual display placed in the A-B connector claimed that two out of twenty-five students identify as something other than straight. The display based its findings on the recent youth risk behavior survey administered to students. The responses to these two displays varied greatly. Club members heard responses ranging from “really, that’s cool” to “ewww, that’s gross!” On Wednesday of that week, Wellness teacher Sarah Greeley came to the club meeting to educate members about the gender spectrum.
On the third week, signs with pictures of gay, bisexual and transgender celebrities and teachers were posted around the school. The celebrities ranged from Angelina Jolie to Elton John.
Immediately after vacation, gay comedian Peterson Toscano came to LS and performed in the black box. His routine, which “thoughtfully and humorously explores queer issues”, was a hit and many audience members commented that they hope he returns.
GSA month cumulated with a forum focusing on the ‘Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell’ policy in the military. The panel, consisting of three students and three teachers, attempted to garner aw much audience participation as possible. The forum began with a clip from 60 minutes about the policy, and although the conversation initially touched on this subject, it eventually transformed into a discussion about the lack of gay students who are “out” at L-S and how L-S compares to other schools regarding gay tolerance.
