Hello. My apologies for not posting in a while.
Yesterday, as I'm sure many of you know, was the National Day of Silence.
As I understand it, people all over America (and maybe in other countries as well) took a pledge to not say a word the whole day, in order to cast light on the gay people everywhere who have to hide their true feelings, like to a conservative Christian family, or a close-minded friend.
I had mixed feelings on this day. On one hand, it's showing the pain that thousands of people go through on a day to day basis, and it forces people to look up information about the day, and transitively, about gay rights.
On the other hand, is silence really helpful?
The whole point of a GSA is a place of comfort that anyone can join to feel accepted. The goal of a GSA is to speak out against things that are detrimental to gay rights, and to make an effort to unite gay and straight people. But silence seems to do the opposite- people are even more confused, and nothing gets said about gay rights.
So maybe it should be a day of explaining, or shouting, or yelling. But I guess that's way less fun.
I tried to do a whole day of silence, but when you have to go to 6 classes, it gets tricky. Plus I forgot every now and then. But it's the thought that counts, right? I hope.
At any rate, think about it and comment, if you want.
Stay happy.
:)
Showing posts with label GSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GSA. Show all posts
April 17, 2010
February 27, 2010
Showing Support
Gay rights can be a tricky subject to support.
If you are a white person protesting for black rights (earlier in the century, maybe), no one is going to brand you as black.
If you are pushing for AIDS awareness, no one is going to accuse you of having AIDS.
If you join a GSA, or show avid support for gay rights, often this leads to calling someone calling you gay.
I think that this is the prime reason more progress hasn't been made. People don't like to show support for something unless they know that they are not taking any chance by supporting it. So, people with long-time boyfriends or girlfriends will join, or married teachers.
Logically, it should follow that people who are confident of being straight should be the first to join. For some reason, this is not the case. Straight people, no matter how confident they are, rarely show support.
This is evident in the fact that 20 people have responded to my poll, but only 9 people publicly follow this blog. For however many people answered the poll, I'm sure many more people have looked at it.
Maybe it's because they just don't like the blog. Or maybe not.
People need to man up. To often in history we see examples of atrocities being committed in front of our eyes, while we sit and watch because we are scared for our own well-being.
In Nazi Germany, if you stood up for the rights of Jews, you could get killed.
If you stand up for gay rights, you could be called gay.
People still stood up for Jews. Do the same for gay people.
And always,
Stay happy.
:)
If you are a white person protesting for black rights (earlier in the century, maybe), no one is going to brand you as black.
If you are pushing for AIDS awareness, no one is going to accuse you of having AIDS.
If you join a GSA, or show avid support for gay rights, often this leads to calling someone calling you gay.
I think that this is the prime reason more progress hasn't been made. People don't like to show support for something unless they know that they are not taking any chance by supporting it. So, people with long-time boyfriends or girlfriends will join, or married teachers.
Logically, it should follow that people who are confident of being straight should be the first to join. For some reason, this is not the case. Straight people, no matter how confident they are, rarely show support.
This is evident in the fact that 20 people have responded to my poll, but only 9 people publicly follow this blog. For however many people answered the poll, I'm sure many more people have looked at it.
Maybe it's because they just don't like the blog. Or maybe not.
People need to man up. To often in history we see examples of atrocities being committed in front of our eyes, while we sit and watch because we are scared for our own well-being.
In Nazi Germany, if you stood up for the rights of Jews, you could get killed.
If you stand up for gay rights, you could be called gay.
People still stood up for Jews. Do the same for gay people.
And always,
Stay happy.
:)
February 6, 2010
Gay Straight Alliances
I am a part of the Gay Straight Alliance at my school. There are many things that this organization is called--I've heard Alliance, Friends of Lesbians And Gays (F.L.A.G), and many others. But they all boil down to the same thing.
Basically, GSA is a place where people who support gay rights can meet. At our school, this is basically a few students and a few teachers, with one gay parent at the school thrown in. But it can be anyone.
GSAs serve a multitude of purposes.
Of course, if you are gay and are seeking a safe place where you can talk about your feelings, bingo.
But there is another, more interesting layer.
GSA is, to put it in the words of a member, "what Jerusalem is to the Jews."
Essentially, GSA is a place that gay kids (or faculty for that matter), despite whether they are out of the closet or not, are aware of. And that is unbelievably important.
It's important for those insecure about themselves to know that their school is supportive.
Interestingly, many homosexual kids at our school don't go to GSA. I assume that a) if they haven't come out yet, they don't want to seem at all like they are gay, and are scared of coming; b) just because they are gay, that doesn't mean they particularly pine for gay rights; or c) they have too much work due to my academically strenuous school (we meet at lunch).
At any rate, if you are a kid, start a GSA or join one at your school to show people that there are those out there who care. Because I'm sure that's easy to forget, despite our attempts (see the hate speech article or the bible article, or really any of them for examples of this).
Also, GSA doesn't have to be solemn or depressing by any means. Our GSA had a dessert party-- look at http://www.leewind.org/2009/12/gsa-party-time-why-your-gay-straight.html to see what we did.
And for me, GSA is just a place where I can see and talk to people who really care about others. Which is why you're reading this site, right? Maybe not.
Ah well, even if you don't start a GSA, or don't join one, do me a favor:
Stay happy.
:)
Basically, GSA is a place where people who support gay rights can meet. At our school, this is basically a few students and a few teachers, with one gay parent at the school thrown in. But it can be anyone.
GSAs serve a multitude of purposes.
Of course, if you are gay and are seeking a safe place where you can talk about your feelings, bingo.
But there is another, more interesting layer.
GSA is, to put it in the words of a member, "what Jerusalem is to the Jews."
Essentially, GSA is a place that gay kids (or faculty for that matter), despite whether they are out of the closet or not, are aware of. And that is unbelievably important.
It's important for those insecure about themselves to know that their school is supportive.
Interestingly, many homosexual kids at our school don't go to GSA. I assume that a) if they haven't come out yet, they don't want to seem at all like they are gay, and are scared of coming; b) just because they are gay, that doesn't mean they particularly pine for gay rights; or c) they have too much work due to my academically strenuous school (we meet at lunch).
At any rate, if you are a kid, start a GSA or join one at your school to show people that there are those out there who care. Because I'm sure that's easy to forget, despite our attempts (see the hate speech article or the bible article, or really any of them for examples of this).
Also, GSA doesn't have to be solemn or depressing by any means. Our GSA had a dessert party-- look at http://www.leewind.org/2009/12/gsa-party-time-why-your-gay-straight.html to see what we did.
And for me, GSA is just a place where I can see and talk to people who really care about others. Which is why you're reading this site, right? Maybe not.
Ah well, even if you don't start a GSA, or don't join one, do me a favor:
Stay happy.
:)
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