This month’s club of the month
is the LGBTQAA club. LGBTQAA is
advised by Ms. DiLauro in Room 240,
which is located in the English hallway.
Ms. Lewis, a Latin Teacher, is also a cosponsor
for the club. For many who may
not know, LGBTQAA stands for Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning,
Asexual and Allies. This club is a safe space for anybody in the LGBTQAA
community. The purpose
of this club is so that students, or
anyone for that matter, feel safe
being who they are and feel comfortable
in their own skin without
someone criticizing them for it.
The club has created a video
to promote and explain what they do. When they meet every week, they talk about the community
involving LGBTQAA. The meetings usually rotate on Wednesday and
Thursday. One week they meet on a Wednesday and the following
week on a Thursday and so forth. The club members talk about how
their gender and sexual orientation are important to their identity.
They plan to raise money and awareness for LGBTQAA issues.
They hope that this club will be a safe place for everyone. The
school’s environment is generally safe for LGBTQAA members, and
the club is working to ensure that our school is as welcoming as it
can be for members of the community. They hope that everyone will
feel very welcome when they join the club. They do not discriminate
against anyone and they would love to have more people join and feel
welcome, even if the person joining does not personally identify as LGBTQAA.
They have many upcoming projects. One that they definitely
plan on doing soon is making T-shirts and/or pins. They would also
like to have a fundraiser to help raise funds to support people who are
affected by HIV/AIDS.
They also plan on spreading awareness to faculty, staff and
other students about the various gender neutral pronouns that some
students would prefer others to use. For example instead of using “he”
or “she” and “him” or “her” one general pronoun is “ze.”
“The students are teaching me all sorts of new things about
gender identity and although it may take time for people to learn these
terms,” said Ms. DiLauro, “it is important that as a community, we
learn to recognize and embrace these terms in order to be even more
accepting and welcoming of diversity in our school and in our local
communities.”
If you are interested in joining the club, talk to Ms. DiLauro in
Room 240 after school on Wednesdays or Thursdays or even during
the school day. I’m sure she would be eager to hear that you would
love to join. If you’re worried about anything don’t forget they welcome
everyone with open arms.