SHS students celebrate Ally Week

This week at SHS, students will walk down the halls with colored flags decorating their faces in celebration of Ally Week. Ally Week encourages everyone to support the LGBT community by participating as a supporter to fight against bullying of LGBT youth.

SHS senior Madison Becker, a two-year member of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), feels Ally Week is important to unite students and spread awareness for the LGBT population.

“People often forget that GSA stands for Gay-Straight Alliance, it’s not a club composed only of LGBTQ+ members,” Becker said. “Ally Week is about recognizing that there are people in our school who identify with the LGBTQ+ community, but also that there are students who will support and defend those who do.”

Making people aware of LGBT rights is a main goal of Ally Week. SHS senior Ariana Lee, Vice President and 2-year member of GSA and wants Ally Week to bring recognition to LGBT students and spread cognizance of their rights around SHS.

“Ally Week gives us a chance to promote ourselves and get more exposure,” Lee said. “A lot of people approach me and ask about the flags on my cheeks, and I get the opportunity to explain to them what it means and what we’re doing.”

SHS sophomore Kaitlin Watts, a member of GSA since her freshman year, shared how accepting and inclusive GSA is. Watts said GSA creates an environment where she can be herself and not have to fear judgement. She also stressed the diversity within the club and how there are many different genders and sexual orientations within the group.

Ally Week has an impact on many students, LGBT or not. Becker believes this is the first step in getting students to promote acceptance and unity throughout their lives.

“Overall, it is a celebration of diversity and identity and will hopefully act as a positive force,” Becker said. “Promoting acceptance in high school [will hopefully] carry on to other parts of people’s lives.”

Students who participate in Ally Week can help spread understanding for the LGBT community and will give those in the community recognition that they need. Participating in this by wearing the colors of several LGBT flags each day will make a huge difference for LGBT youth at SHS.

“Ally Week means more than just a week of exposure,” Lee said. “It feels as if we, the LGBT community, really matter and get the acknowledgement that we otherwise wouldn’t have.”

This Friday, GSA hosts an Ally 101 workshop in conference room two across from the English office to help educate SHS students on LGBT matters.

Courier Editor-in-Chief and GSA president Hannah Edelman had no involvement in the production or editing of this story.