LGBTQ+ Support and Advocacy Club Are Making Changes
2/1/2021
The LGBTQ+ Support and Advocacy Group is a Glasgow-run after-school club that was started last year and is led by Ms. Durgavich and Mrs. Vestal. The club supports all gender identities and sexual orientations and strives to assist Glasgow in creating a safer place for students of the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, they are creating a new website to spread awareness.
The website is great for students who are interested in joining the club, or students who want to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community. Blue (Glasgow 7th Grader) is the creator of the website and in her words, the website is meant to, “allow people outside of the club see the things we’ve been doing, for example, we’ve met with a few school board members. We also created it to provide an easier way for students to join the club.” The website can be an outlet for students to support and guide them. The website will have info on different LGBTQ+ identities, pronouns, projects they are doing, and more. To visit the site, use This Link.
Gender-neutral restrooms are essential for students who are nonbinary (don’t identify as male or female) because it allows them to go to a restroom that doesn’t require them to choose a gender. It can also help other transgender students who are in the middle of transitioning and don’t feel comfortable using a female or male bathroom. To learn more about the importance of gender-neutral restrooms, visit This Link. The club was a voice for the initiative to establish a gender-neutral restroom in Glasgow for nonbinary students.
The club is working toward changing the treatment of teachers toward students in the community. “Teachers set the tone for the classroom community,” says Mrs. Vestal. When teachers don’t support students, it can really hurt them. Teachers can help students feel more welcome by providing a new BBCU (Blackboard Collaborate Ultra) link with the student’s preferred name, putting a sign on their door saying their classroom is welcoming, and by educating themselves on what it means to be LGBTQ+. The two messages to the Glasgow community she has are; to students, “We welcome anyone who feels like they might have a place in this club.” To teachers, she says, “Be open and supportive of all of your students. Treat everyone the same.”
Students who are interested in joining the club may request to join the club by filling out the form with This Link, go through the Glasgow After School Website, or access their new website. “For students specifically who identify as LGBTQ+, having the space to talk with people, to bring concerns and ask questions I think can be really valuable,” explains Mrs. Vestal.
The Glasgow community is full of wonderful LGBTQ+ students and the LGBTQ+ Support and Advocacy Group is helping to make students more comfortable and welcomed in the community. Check them out, and help them on their mission to make Glasgow a more accepting place for everyone.
To learn more about pronouns, visit Girls, Boys, and Beyond: How to Respect Pronouns. To learn more about LGBTQ+ students at Glasgow, visit LGBTQ+ Students at Glasgow – Panther Post.
Raine Jeff (They/Them) is an 8th Grader at Glasgow Middle School. They grew up in Virginia and have lived there for their whole life. They dance, play soccer, like doing art, baking, and taking care of their plants. They have a dog that they got during the pandemic and adore. They enjoy learning and being challenged to think in new ways.
Isabella Pikner (she/her) is an 8th grader at Glasgow. She’s from Slovenia and moved to Virginia when she was 4. She plays volleyball and the cello. She likes drawing, painting, and the arts in general. A couple fun facts about her is that she used to dance for 10 years and her favorite movies are Howl’s Moving Castle and A Silent Voice.
Anna Lucia
Feb 3, 2021 at 7:25 am
this is true! we also support and we are an advocate for romantic identitys! we don’t usually give the code out for many security reasons and we have a contract that each student may fill out to apply. explore the site! https://sites.google.com/fcpsschools.net/gms-lgbtq/land?authuser=1