Why I'm an Ally

My name is Carly, I'm a student ambassador for GLSEN, and an 8th grader in Arizona.

Since my mom is an ally, I've been an ally for basically as long as I can remember. In fact, I don't think I could imagine that not being a part of my life. And for as long as I've been an ally, the question I've been asked the most has always been “Why?” “Why do you care so much about gay people if you're straight yourself?”

Well, there are several answers to that question. First of all, I believe a lack of acceptance and an attitude of intolerance is one of the biggest issues our society faces, and one that has been the root cause of some of the most tragic events in history. In this case, anti-LGBT bullying, homophobia, and heterosexism in schools have caused tragedies. It has caused the tragedy of talented, bright kids not achieving the success they could be in school or even dropping out because they are too afraid of being harassed to focus on academic success. It has caused hundreds of teens to suffer from anxiety or depression every year. In short, anti-LGBT bullying is a common and extremely serious problem. And I don't want to just sit by and watch it wreck a ton of amazing young people's lives. That's probably the biggest part of why I'm an ally—I think it's just the right thing to do.

Besides that, I strongly believe that anti-LGBT bullying does not only negatively impact the LGBT community, but also an environment in which no once can feel comfortable being who they are and expressing themselves, for fear of being judged, labeled, bullied, or harassed. These kind of hostile surroundings, where everyone is more worried about not becoming a victim then they are about doing well in school or life, is not conducive to a healthy learning environment or a healthy person. As an ally, it is my hope that one day, everyone will be able to go to school and just be themselves and focus on being the best they can be. I want to wake up in a world where people are free from gender stereotypes that stifle their ability to lead the life they want to.

Ultimately, I believe the quote that “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” is true, and I don't want to take the side of bullying. Allies are in a position to “be the change,” as GLSEN says. They have the opportunity to break down the walls between LGBT students and their straight peers that often lead to a feeling of isolation for the LGBT students. To be a voice for people who are in the closet and can't speak up for themselves, be a supporter for people who are coming out or need somebody to talk to, and fight along side all the wonderful LGBT youth who have worked to achieve safer and more inclusive schools.

Being an ally is something I would encourage everyone to do, because although you may face some challenges, I have had so many great experiences and met so many amazing people because of being an ally. And at the end of the day, I feel really proud to be a part of a movement that involves people of all different sexual orientations and gender identities, joined together for a great cause.

Ally Week Approaches! October 17-21

Have you started planning for Ally Week yet?

• Register: Click here to register your participation. If you're one of the first few thousand, you'll get some free materials to support your participation.
• Gather Information: Find resources to help you start your planning on www.allyweek.org.
• Find Support: Discuss your participation with the advisor of your GSA or student club, or another trusted faculty member. It’s a good idea to print out resources from www.allyweek.org to give to potential supportive faculty.
• Get Permission: Your Ally Week is likely to be more successful if the school approves of your activities. Research and follow the proper protocol for approving an activity at your school. Ask your supportive staff member to help.
• Build a Team: Find peers who want to contribute. Talk to members of your GSA and/or other allies. Tell them about Ally Week and ask if they would be interested in getting involved. Make sure to check out the resources about building coalitions at www.allyweek.org.
• Schedule for next week: Make sure to schedule a Team meeting with your supportive faculty member and interested students for the upcoming week to keep making progress!

Be Counted: GSA Census 2011!

Take the GSA Census 2011 and let your GSA’s participation and needs in the safe schools movement be heard!

How many GSAs exist in the country? What do GSAs do? What do GSAs need?

We want to know and we need YOUR help!

• The first 2,000 GSAs to take the GSA Census will receive a packet of free GLSEN organizing materials
• All GSA Census participants will be entered in a raffle to win a www.glsenstore.org gift certificate

All GSA students and advisors/sponsors are welcome to take the GSA Census. The GSA Census defines GSA as an umbrella term used to refer to all student clubs that bring LGBT youth and allies together to work on creating safe and inclusive school environments (e.g., Gay-Straight Alliance, Gay-Straight-Transgender Alliance, Queer-Straight Alliance, Rainbow Club).

Be Counted

Day of Silence Student Voices: Meghann G.

Meghann G. participated in the National Day of Silence on Friday, April 15, and throughout the day was teased by her peers who made gay jokes at her. Meghann retreated to the counselors’ office and began to write. Below is an excerpt of what she wrote on that day, cross posted with permission from her blog, Dancing in God’s Wonderland.

---------

How do you tell someone how you feel without speaking and without writing an essay? How do you defend yourself without words?

The meaning of Day of Silence is so much more powerful when experiencing it, hearing about it doesn't compare. The feeling of isolation puts you in a daze, where you forget about the "importance" of every day conversations. The lack of talking even dries out your throat and when you do speak again your voice cracks on the choked out words.

Day of Silence isn't just a protest against bullying or something to bring attention to others, but it's to bring a more intense, tangible, awareness to the participants. I tell people it's not as hard as it sounds, just to get them to do it, but in all reality it is hard and stressful and saddening to an extent; however it is also enlightening and eye-opening and incredibly, absolutely powerful. Anyone who has participated the whole day would know. It's inspirational.

As human beings we all want to fit in one way or another. No one wants to be isolated or alone or abandoned—no one. So Lord, help me be strong as I venture back into this battle field, because this does not end on the Day of Silence. This is reality for so many people.

The Day of Silence is over. Now what?

Last Friday, many of you participated in the National Day of Silence. Thanks to all of your amazing work we are able to say that this was the largest Day of Silence in history! Your silence brought awareness to the silencing effects of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. Congrats!

But don't stop there. Day of Silence is just the beginning! Read below for some things you can do to keep the movement going. And make sure to read to the end where we announce the date for the Day of Silence in 2012.

Register and Be Counted!
It's not too late to register your participation in the Day of Silence! We want to get an accurate understanding or how many people took part. CLICK HERE to let us know that you took a stand against anti-LGBT bullying and harassment!

Tell us your story
We love to hear how you celebrated the Day of Silence. How many people participated? Were your teachers supportive? What did you do to Break the Silence? Let us know! Click here to fill out the feedback form on studentorganizing.org.

Silence in the Classroom
We are sorry to hear that several students faced negative consequences because of their participation in the Day of Silence at school. As a reminder, while students have the right to not speak between classes and before/after school, students DO NOT have the right to remain silent during instructional time. Although it is upsetting if you were punished because you remained silent during class, it is not against the law. Some teachers grant permission for students to uphold their vow of silence in class, but teachers are not required to do so. We always recommend discussing your participation with your teacher before the Day of Silence. Click here to see more about your legal rights during the Day of Silence.

If you still feel your rights were denied during the Day of Silence, please visit our Report It form to let us know. A representative from Lambda Legal may be in contact to assist.

Stay tuned!
We'll email you with announcements about upcoming Days of Action, and ways that you can keep your organizing going all year long! Join the Gay-Straight Alliances Facebook page for announcements all year long and be sure to read the emails from info@studentorganizing.org and posts from @DayofSilence on Twitter!

Drum roll, please!
And the date for the next Day of Silence will be...Friday, April 20, 2012! Mark your calendars now and start brainstorming for ideas for next year's event! You can RSVP now at the official Day of Silence 2012 Facebook Event. And don't forget Ally Week (Oct 17-21) to jump start your organizing for the school year!

Thank you again for your participation in the Day of Silence. Don't let your work stop now. Through your continued organizing, we hope you are leading conversations and building action to change the climate of your schools to be a place where all students - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression - can learn in a safe and supportive environment.

Congratulations on your success!

Do You Want to Be a GLSEN Student Ambassador?

Do you feel strongly about safe schools for all students?

Are you a high school student with your very own blog? Do you tweet or follow your favorite celebrities on Twitter? Is Facebook your “home away from home?” Are your friends regularly checking your YouTube channel for the latest videos you’ve posted?

If so, you may be the perfect addition to the GLSEN Student Ambassadors Program!

Take look at some of the fun our ambassadors had at last years summit in New York City.



We are searching for ambitious students in grades 8-12 during the 2011-2012 school year who are interested in sharing their stories in all kinds of media – from print, radio and TV to Twitter, Facebook and more. Students chosen will take part in a four-day media and safe schools summit in Los Angeles, July 14-17, 2011.

During the summit Ambassadors will learn how to raise awareness about GLSEN and safe schools in traditional and social media. With the support of media partners, GLSEN will give extensive training on getting placement in traditional media and how to leverage their existing knowledge of social media to raise awareness directly to constituents.

Now you may be asking yourself, “That’s just wonderful, but what happens after that?”

We’re glad you asked.

Throughout the year GLSEN’s Communications Department will engage these students as youth spokespeople to increase public understanding of the experiences of LGBT youth and allies in school at local and national levels. These young leaders will serve as everyday voices to communicate to educators, policy makers, fellow students and concerned citizens about GLSEN’s work. Student Ambassadors are also invited to be GLSEN’s guest bloggers and appear at select GLSEN events throughout the year.

Past GLSEN Ambassadors have appeared on AC 360, CBS Evening News and Entertainment Weekly, and have been in People Magazine, Teen Vogue and ET online, among others.

Click here for the application and get one step closer to becoming an official GLSEN Student Ambassador!

Details we almost forgot to mention:
*Trip expenses will be covered by GLSEN.
*The 2011-2012 Media Summit is limited to 18 students.
*Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, May 1, 2011.
*Students chosen will be notified via email by June 1, 2011.

Break the Silence!

Congratulations to all of you on a hugely successful Day of Silence! Hundreds of thousands of people across the country and around the world participated in the Day to bring awareness to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment.

By now you've likely Broken the Silence, and begun to speak about your participation in the Day, your experiences with anti-LGBT bullying and the importance of making all schools safer for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Keep the conversation going! The Day of Silence is the first step towards a deeper dialogue amongst members of your community about how to improve your school's climate for LGBT and all students.

While we know that this year's Day of Silence was the largest ever, we want to be able to show it! Please make sure you registered your participation by clicking on THIS LINK. By registering we can help show others the impact of this action.

We'd love to hear your stories about your participation--the ups , the downs, and everything in between. What did you do to end the silence? Tell us by emailing info@dayofsilence.org.

If you feel you were denied your right to participate in the Day of Silence or if you faced strong opposition from your school, please CLICK HERE to let us know. A representative from Lambda Legal may be in contact with you to assist.

Stay tuned to the Day of Silence Blog, the Day of Silence Facebook Page and the @DayofSilence on Twitter for ideas on how to take the next step to make your school a more respectful and supportive place for all students.

Thank you all for your hard work, and congratulations on taking a stand!