A group of Bloomington High School North students requesting to start a “straight pride” club to purportedly counter the schools’ Gay/Straight Alliance have created an atmosphere of outrage and calls for reconciliation reports the IndyStar.com. The brouhaha began when several students requested, and were granted, club status. “A group of students at Bloomington High School North had proposed starting the faith-based club in the 2015-16 school year. Principal Jeff Henderson said federal law required the school to allow the club, which students had said would offer “specific supports for heterosexual students.”
But as news of the club grew, and with it a sense of shock and dismay by many in the community, the teacher who agreed to sponsor the club withdrew, thus shelving the idea. Greg Chaffin, a guidance counselor at North and the faculty sponsor of the school’s Gay Straight Alliance, said he was happy that plans for club had fallen through but noted that there are still students motivated to start a group, which he called a smokescreen for bullying.
“Whether or not they find sponsorship, I think we need to have discussions around why these students felt compelled to have this group and what that means for our schools, our community and our Gay Straight Alliance,” Chaffin said.
To those in or supportive of the LGBTQ community, the sense of fear and intimidation is real. During the school’s ‘Day of Silence,’ a nationwide protest against homophobia where people don tape across their mouths, students at the southern Indiana high school were verbally harassed and some students had the tape torn off their mouths. Amy Makice, who has a child attending Bloomington High School South, said she was saddened by the proposal to create the club and thinks more discussion and training for faculty are needed.
“I think it was a missed opportunity to sit down and talk with these kids about, ‘What is it you really want from this group? How can we meet those needs without making a group that instills fear in other people?'” Makice said.
She said she has spoken with school administrators and is in touch with parents who plan to push for systemic change relating to LGBT students in the Monroe County Community School Corp.”
According to the Gay/Straight Alliance Network Web site, there are currently over 900 alliances in California alone.
