National Coming Out Day (NCOD) was this past Saturday, October 11, and the Gay-Straight Alliance recently posted several informative flyers around the school to raise awareness.
“Coming out is, quite possibly, the single-most stressful event in a gay, bisexual, or transgender person’s life. Merely uttering the words ‘I’m gay’ out loud can create feelings of dread in any person, let alone in someone already dealing with the awkward teen years. National Coming Out Day exists in order to give support and strength to someone who may be struggling with when and how to come out,” said Ms. Dyan Naslund, the sponsor of our school’s Gay-Straight Alliance chapter.
There are several students at LHS who identify as a member of the LGBT community. Although some of these students have already come out, there may still be those who have not. The GSA works to create a school community where there is no bullying and a welcoming environment for all LGBT students.
The message of the Gay-Straight Alliance is simple: “It takes a lot of courage to come out to anyone, and our hope is that GSA provides a place where someone can see and hear other students’ experiences and use them to help make the very personal decision to come out,” said Ms. Naslund.
If any student is interested in attending a meeting, the GSA meetings are held after school every Tuesday in room 258.
“Again, all students are welcome, and we encourage anyone who is interested or curious about what we do to come to a meeting and find out. It’s a very positive environment and a place that is highly supportive of everyone’s unique qualities,” Ms. Naslund reaffirmed.
