Street roots
13
Sept. 16, 2011
Gay straight alliances raise awareness, courage in youths
BY A M Y LAM
if they are being picked on for being queer
and a person of color, the student often
he back-to-school season marks the
can’t get the support from home or from
end of summer vacation for students. school.”
While some students may be looking
Even for someone like Khalil, who grew
forward to a fresh start, they may have up in a supportive household, it was
classmates who
difficult for him to embrace his whole self.
dread returning
“My parents have always been advocates
to school.
for social justice and equal rights,” he said.
Although
In middle school, he started developing
schoolyard
feelings that made him feel uncomfortable,
bullying has long
but he didn’t know how to tell his family
been considered
even though they had never said or done
a part of the rite
anything homophobic. “It was because I
of passage for
knew how it was perceived in our society,
young people, it is facing greater scrutiny
among my friends and peers. I never heard
in light of recent violence directed toward
anything positive about being gay.”
LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual
When Khalil finally came out to his
Transgender and Queer) youth. According
family a couple of years after graduating
to a 2001 Washington Post article
from high school, they were supportive. He
examining this issue, three out of 10
counts himself fortunate to have a network
LGBTQ students drop out of school due to
of people that cares about him
harassment and discrimination, a number
unconditionally, and he knows that there
that is three times the national average for
are many queer students of color who do
their heterosexual classmates. Four out of
not have this type of support.
five LGBTQ youth say that they do not
“PFLAG is for parents to come get
know of any supportive adults at their
support and ask questions about how to
schools.
understand their child’s sexual orientation.
Khalil Edwards, coordinator for PFLAG
PFLAG Black Chapter goes beyond being a
(Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians
support system for parents who struggle
& Gays) Portland Black Chapter says that
with these issues, and we go into the
queer youth of color tend to face even
community to reach everyone.”
more hardship because they are dealing
Antoinette, Khalil’s mother, was one of
with two layers of discrimination. “When a
the founders of the PFLAG Portland Black
black student gets picked on at school, they Chapter in 2009. She also started the first
can go home and talk to their parents. But
Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at Jefferson
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
■
A m y L a m is the
Development &
Communications
Associate a t the
Western States
Center, which aim s to
build a progressive
movement by
supporting grassroots
organizations. The
Center’s Uniting
Comm unities project
works with
organizations based
in communities o f
color to advance
L G B T Q equality.
High School, where she worked. The GSA
helped students to create their own
network of support amongst queer youth
and straight allies. “There are fewer
homophobic remarks, and students feel
more safe to attend classes at schools with
GSAs,” said Khalil.
“Not being alone is a major factor. The
mere presence of a GSA gives students
courage to come out to their families. A
GSA is a network of support that they have
never had.”
PFLAG Portland Black Chapter is part of
the Uniting Communities project at the
Western States Center, which works
towards pairing racial justice and LGBTQ
equality. “Uniting Communities helped us
to acquire the skills to be able to go into
different schools to speak with leaders and
faculty in order to help assess and start a
GSA if needed,” said Khalil. Currently,
there are GSAs at predominantly black high
schools, Jefferson and Grant
“We were also formed partnerships with
other community groups through Uniting
Communities. It’s crucial that there are
groups we can reach out to for support and
they can reach out to us,” Khalil says.
“Uniting Communities works to raise the
visibility of queer people of color in our
communities, recognize their experiences,
and address their needs. Being able to
intersect all these things that align with
our mission has been a huge opportunity
and benefit to the work that we do.”
My Show
By Jason Wolf
Sometimes I don’t see the forest for the trees
I look at the challenges ahead and crumble to my knees
I feel bombarded with obstacles that lay in my way
Then I tend to do nothing or whatever I may
Sometimes I have to be someone other than me
At times I don’t want to live, don’t want to die, but just be
I feel myself deteriorate in this shell of a man
I have goals I want to accomplish but never have a plan
I get bored quickly, always wanting something new
With myself I usually don’t know what to do
I try to avoid looking at myself when I see a mirror
Because the person I don’t want to be becomes clearer
Reality, is a game I don’t want to play
I have no choice but the rules I don’t obey
So I have to climb the wall that is forever high
Thinking to myself that the limit truly is the sky
No rest for the wicked, the show must contintie
Until the day I am relieved from this venue
By Jon Cornelison