Mesquite High Students: Safe spaces for LGBT youth are important

Phoenix AZ

30 November, 2021

5:16 PM

Description

In a world where inclusivity has slowly made its way up the priority list of society, students stand at the forefront of many movements pushing for acceptance. Mesquite High School, in Gilbert, Arizona, is home to a club that encourages just that: the Equality Club. Mesquite's Equality Club is a community of 30 students that meet every Tuesday after school. A majority of the students are a part of the LGBT community and want their peers to know there is a space for them. "We want to inform people about our community so we can help to create a more accepting environment," said Calvin Gil, secretary of the club. "We want to create a safe place for people to come together and know that we are here for them." The students said they have seen a change in terms of tolerance and acceptance in their community, but know that there is still work to be done. Their goal is to educate people who may not understand them. Although the LGBT community may be a new subject to many, diversity in identities has a vast history, another point that the club wants to emphasize. Above all else, the Equality Club wants to create a space in which people feel safe to be themselves and accepted. Members said that their school is generally accepting and they do feel support from a majority of their teachers and staff. However, they are aware that there is judgment coming from some of their peers. "Having a safe space where we know we can get the support we need is so important," Lainey Collins, vice president of the club, said. "We have resources and connections here that we wouldn't have access to otherwise. It helps us all get a sense of belonging, and when you aren't like everyone else it can be really hard to find that." Some of the students said they felt the need to act differently around some classmates, making the existence of the club vital to their mental health. A national survey published by the Trevor Project in 2021 found that 42% of LGBT youth considered attempting suicide in the past year. It also found that youth who had access to spaces that were accepting of them were reporting lower rates of suicide attempts. The students said they recognized that other members of the LGBT community may not have access to these types of sanctuary groups may struggle differently, but encouraged them to find resources either locally or virtually. This genre of school club has become increasingly popular, making access to these spaces more accessible. Many of the students said they have seen attempts to be more inclusive in their classrooms since the presence of their club has grown. Teachers at their school have begun to ask for people's pronouns and preferred names when introducing themselves. "In this club, I feel accepted and heard, but in school, I feel like people look at me differently," Collins said. "It's harder to be myself around them, and I know other people feel the same way. Having this club helps others know that they have a place here and we want them to be okay with being different."