By Kelly Stewart
Opinions Editor
The latest of many attempts to get a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) started at CHS has again been put on hold by the administration, due to concerns about the intentions of the club.
Assistant principal Sean Bagley said the reason for the hesitation is that school officials are concerned that allowing a GSA to meet would mean allowing other students to make clubs dedicated to their race, religion or beliefs, and thereby segregate themselves and push their beliefs onto the rest of the student population.
While this is a valid point, I have to disagree. The club is a “gay – straight” alliance, meaning that everyone is welcome, and tolerance is the point of the club, not separation or the bashing of straight students.
And really, what is the problem with letting students make clubs based on their beliefs in general? Clubs like these can be used help students find other people who have things in common with them – and really, isn’t that the entire point of a club? As long as that is the purpose and not to bash everyone else because of their beliefs, I really do not see the harm in letting belief-based clubs form.
Gay students need support too, maybe now more than ever. The country is still getting used to the idea of allowing gays to have the same rights, and many are still against the idea of being gay altogether. Too often, gay students are being ostracized and made fun of by their peers for just being them, and too many of these instances end in suicide or self harm.
Having a club where you know you have support goes a long way when you have to deal with the changes that come with realizing your sexuality and sometimes getting made fun of because it.
As for the other minorities making clubs of their own, I highly doubt they will do that. For many other minorities, it is different; they may not be ostracized. America is (or should be) a lot more progressive towards minorities in race and religion than in former years. Of course no one is perfect, and many students can be pushed out because of what they believe, not just gay students. Any student who has been overly criticized because of their race or what they believe should have a place to belong to.
The students who want to start the club are in no way intending for its purpose to be anything other than spreading the idea of tolerance to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Though some might be concerned that this will lead to the GSA forcing students to follow some sort of “agenda, ”this is really far from the truth. The GSA is to help everyone to be more tolerant; why stop it?
Currently, Bagley is looking into other schools that have allowed GSAs in order to ascertain if any backlash has occurred from other students wanting to make any inappropriate clubs. The final decision has still not been made.
