Alumni Letter

My friend and neighbor is an alumnus of our high school and has graciously added a letter of support (emphasis mine):

To Whom It May Concern:

I'm an alumnus of (our school) High who would have greatly benefited from the solid presence of a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.  I heard I had the opportunity to write and add my voice to those asking for the support of the administration in the creation of a student-run gay-straight alliance at dear, old ( ) High.

In high school, I came to a more solid articulation of my attractions for women.

photo credit: minnpost.com

I did not tell anyone.  Really, there wasn't much to tell.  I wanted to flirt, to hold hands, to date, to exchange mix tapes and maybe even kiss.  I was 17, for goodness' sake.  Unfortunately, I grew up in a culture that fed a lot of dread and guilt into anything that had to do with my healthy attractions.  I was severely depressed and suicidal, but I was alone.  I had no one I could approach and ask questions or work through my thoughts.

I graduated six years ago and was a student when the GSA at Provo High was in the news.  What I didn't know then was that I was vastly undereducated about the subject of sexual orientation and the concept of what someone my age might be struggling with who feel attracted to the same sex or have gender dysphoria.  I was so undereducated, I couldn't even have a concept to figure out what I was feeling! I have since benefited from a safe space, where supportive and loving straight, gay, and trans people could come together and learn about each other and try to be the best support they could be.

  

Gay people, especially gay teens, have a dismally difficult time finding safe spaces. Often, they don't even have a place to think out what they want or learn enough about sexual orientation to understand themselves.  It is a terrible secret to hold.  This leads to many suicides, teenagers who self-harm, and students who are severely depressed.  

Homophobia is a wide-spread problem, especially in our schools.  I personally witnessed students bullying gay teens and bullying straight teens by using gay slurs.  Even though no one knew I was gay or trans, I knew it would not be safe for me to bring up my teenage attractions for women.

GSA's provide safe spaces for discussion, education and support.  The first two benefit all students involved.  The last particularly benefits lgbt students looking for acceptance.  Education is key.  When I left high school, I had been taught that homosexuality was spuriously removed from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) and to continue to consider it as a psychological sex and gender disorder.  I was taught that people identifying as a different gender than their birth sex were delusional.  I heard, "that's gay", "faggot" and gay jokes all through high school from students and teachers.  The suicides of gay youth were used as evidence that homosexuality bred mental illness.  I didn't know that the APA (American Psychological Association) supported transgender people in their identities.  I didn't know that homosexuality had been found to be practically identical to heterosexuality outside of social and cultural pressure and discrimination.  I didn't know that gay people could be happy.  There was no true education for me, in this place of education.    For more education:  http://gsanetwork.org/resources/research-reports/national-research

Photo credit: truthdig.com

Had I a GSA in the high school when I attended, it would not have meant I wouldn't experience harassment or rejection.  It would have meant that I would have had a place to go for voices like mine to support me in this harassment and rejection.  This would have been an invaluable support to me and I believe it will be an invaluable support to those students in your halls that are lgbt.  

Thank you,