Glafbguggle.

[agentrosecotton]

I'm going to start a gay-straight alliance.I've been planning this all summer, with determination & a great deal of trepidation. Because, y'know, this is Tennessee. I'm going to get bombs in my locker. Harassment and bureacratic roadblocks, at the very least. But somebody's got to do it, because...it needs to be done

Comments

[theldara]

Just keep your eyes open and, if possible, carry pepper spray on your key chain (if they'll allow that into the school... and considering you walk home from the bus, you'd have a good arguement for carrying it anyway). This is East TN, I've spent my whole life here. People without two brain cells to rub together can get scary when they're pushed by their peers. There ARE good people here, really there are, it's just the assholes tend to get more press and be of more concern.

I dodged getting my nose rearranged several times, thankfully, and I was extremely quiet about my beliefs, rarely spoke to anyone outside my closed friends circle, and had a very tolerant nature. Eh, those people who thought I needed 'corrected' are still cleaning toilets somewhere, so I guess Karma does have a sense of humor ;)

As stereotypical as it may be, check into the art and music departments. My coolest, least chokingly conservative, teachers were from those areas. Surely times haven't changed that much since I graduated.

[agentrosecotton]

Heh...You know, I laughed at the pepper spray thing until I realised you were serious. o_o I'm lucky enough so far--at least eight people know I'm gay, and the only negative reaction I've gotten is momentary shock. I tend to attract unconventional people, I guess

[kira002]

I think you're brave for having made it as far as you have in organizing the GSA. You can do it!

Also, I love your icon. :)

[agentrosecotton]

::is all proud and scared and stuff::

Hee! Thanks. moondogdragon made it.

[despertarse]

I wish you the best of luck!
The gay people at my school are so scattered and not close enough friends with each other that there hasn't been a move towards a GSA. The gay people at our school are friends with straight people and that's just about it (though they do get talked about behind their backs in condenscending ways).

[agentrosecotton]

Ouch, yeah. That's the way it was at my old school (in redneck Northern Canada). If you were gay and out, everyone knew who you were and talked about you; so most people stayed closeted, or didn't talk about it, and were friends with straight people mostly. I would have been more afraid of starting a GSA there, I think. Here, I want to do it before I have time to get really scared.

[karaotter]

Good luck, and just know that even if the idea is shot down by any higher-ups, you'll still be known for at least trying to start your own GSA and even that's better than not trying at all. I'd never even try something like that if I was in your situation, so you have more courage than I do at least. Again, I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you start one without too many problems. (And none of them major ones.)

[agentrosecotton]

Thanks, heh. Your encouragement is appreciated. So far I've had a teacher tell me that she's totally not interested, and another one say she'd help if I agreed to not focus on gay people. Which may be what I have to end up doing, but I have not yet been defeated.

[nenya_kanadka]

*snuggles*