More students at school are beginning to feel more comfortable with coming out of the “closet” as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, there is now a lot more variety between students rather than just being Gay or Straight. There are now more students who will come out as Pansexual (liking everybody romantically regardless of gender identity), Bisexual (liking two or more genders romantically), Transgender (Feeling like the opposite gender you were born), and many more parts of the community.
Junior Jay Wilson explained her point of view about school and LGBTQ safety.
“I’ve already gotten called slurs at school and it’s been really hurtful, there’s nothing to represent any sort of LGBTQ thing at school. There’s a club that’s run by students and sometimes homophobes will come in and say hurtful things”.
A lot of the times at school when students are open about being LGBTQ students, they get called slurs and sometimes threatened inside and outside of school, which can make traveling to school or sitting on the bus worrisome or stressful.
Anonymous freshman Max explained from his experience
“I feel kinda safe because like there’s more LGBTQ kids here than I thought there would be although I do usually just feel like one of the gay kids”. .
Wilson explained.
“I think that they should include that in sex ed because they don’t even include stuff about being non-binary or what like happens if you’re trans or like how to go through surgeries and they don’t give an idea where to go next”..
A lot of LGBTQ youth, especially those who are struggling with gender identity issues and body dysphoria worry that they won’t be accepted and feel scared to tell a teacher their preferred name and pronouns.
Counselor Katrina Wachs discussed how the school strives to make a safe environment for all students.
“I think at Bear River we try to provide a safe place where we don’t tolerate bullying,” Wachs assured. “We have GSA [and] we want kids to feel safe here. We want to we want them to know that they’re loved and accepted and you know who they are.”
Sophomore Devon Nunley explained his view about school sex ed.
“It doesn’t benefit like I had to go through a year of health class on how to do things with a woman which isn’t exactly my style, I guess it would be better to like, know things that would be useful to us”.
Max Agreed.
“Yeah, because that’s why a lot of youth LGBTQ struggle with their sexuality. And I feel like it would also bring more awareness to sexuality like the male stigma of not being able to explore your own sexuality, of there being no like no lessons to teach why or how”.
Schools have always focused more on heterosexual sex ed and teaching students about how heterosexuals can get STD’s while other students question if they can get these diseases from their, other sexual attraction.
Wachs gave her view.
“I think that we should be teaching about all types of people and all types of walks of life, we should be able to acknowledge our people.”
A lot of kids these days are starting to figure out who they are, who they want to be, students at school don’t want to be quiet about how they feel whether it’s a good or bad thing. More students are beginning to come out of the closet and be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity making the world a more open and safe place.
