After years of hearing the phrase “That’s so gay” in middle school, I made a major discovery: I am gay. Needless to say, I was hurt when my peers—without actually knowing the truth about who I was—would casually toss around the word “gay” to refer to something bad or stupid. In eighth grade, I fought back. I came out, and suddenly, people stopped using the phrase “that’s so gay” around me. I suppose they were embarrassed or uncomfortable with the fact that I am gay.

By the time I got to high school, I had more to worry about than people saying “that’s so gay.” Several members of the sophomore class made the winter of my freshman year pure hell; time and again I heard “fag” and “hey, baby” around hallway corners. One group followed me around for several weeks, uttering hateful slurs such as “bitch” and mockingly prancing around like a stereotypical, flamboyant gay male. Eventually, when I was cornered, I lashed out. I hit one of the sophomores, and we got into a fight. The school administration got involved and the police were called. I felt humiliated and embarrassed. I decided that something had to be done to stop the taunting.

The Power of an Alliance

Fighting only got me into trouble, so I co-founded Spectrum—my school’s gay-straight alliance (GSA)—with the help of several interested seniors and a faculty advisor. A GSA is an organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (GLBTQ) teens and their allies. GSA members work to end homophobia and create a positive and safe atmosphere in their school for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including those who are heterosexual and might have lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender parents.

Participation in Spectrum was minimal for the first two years, but as more students became interested in making the school a more accepting environment, membership grew. We’ve used our meetings to discuss GLBTQ themes in literature and pop culture. And we are currently working on a school-wide beautification project, which will introduce GLBTQ-themed art into the building. Mostly though, our GSA is a fun and safe place for a bunch of us like-minded students to chill out and talk about homophobia and the differences between tolerating and embracing diversity.

Create a Safe Zone

I wanted to make a permanent contribution to my school through our GSA, so I’m now working to start a Safe-Zone program at my school, like those suggested by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The purpose of the Safe-Zone program is to give all students—gay, lesbian, heterosexual, bisexual, questioning or transgender—someone to talk to about sexual orientation and gender. At my school, a pink triangle will be placed on the classroom doors of faculty members who have designated themselves as “allies.” These allies will have to undergo training, which would teach them about the general issues teens face regarding sexual orientation and gender. My mission is to create an environment of acceptance in which all students and teachers can take part.

Start with Your School

You can start a GSA at your school, as long you have student and faculty interest. Go to GLSEN.org to find The GLSEN Jump-Start Guide for Gay-Straight Alliances. This guide includes detailed information on establishing a GSA, identifying your mission and goals and assessing your school’s climate.

Once your GSA is well established, you may want to create a school-wide Safe-Zone program. Your faculty advisor or other interested faculty can visit GLSEN.org to find the Safe Space Kit, which walks teachers through working with you to start a program at your school.

Starting a GSA and a Safe-Zone program requires some effort, but with a few interested students and a faculty advisor, you can create a more accepting environment at your school. And believe me, it’s totally worth it!

Are you involved with your GSA or a Safe-Zone program at your school? Tell us about it at Your Voice, Your Rights!