The GSA is up and running again. The new addition to the club is that the name will be changing soon. There will be a vote on what it could be, the main idea for a name is ‘Be You’.  

   GSA is a club where people from the LGBTQIA+ community can feel safe in a space where they are welcome. People who are not in the community can come too so they can learn more about what gender identity is, what sexuality is, and how it is different from gender identity.

   The club meets every Wednesday from 3:25 to 4:30 in room 105, though it can sometimes run to 6:00 depending on what is taking place. Ms. Kristina Hitzke, a GHS parent liaison, is the GSA advisor and a very supportive person who’s willing to learn more about the community and help fix any possible problems that could arise.

   “I knew it was something the school needed, the students that are a part of this particular community need a place where they felt they could come and feel comfortable and safe,” said Ms. Hitzke. “Where information can be shared and their stories can be told.”

   In the last several meetings there has been talk of social injustice, gender identity, and how some of the members came out and their stories. The members of the club shared some of their opinions on why they decided to join the club in the first place.

   “I joined the club because I knew that there were people who needed to find more people who were from our community.”, said Robin Gamboa, junior.  “All of us need a family and friends we can go to who will understand us.”   

      Being in a community with people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans can help people in the community feel acceptance and belonging. 

   “I joined GSA because it’s something I’ve wanted to join to find like minded people,” said Michelle Beach, junior.

   A lot of people who were in the club before are wondering why it is coming back now.

      “It stopped because times changed and participation declined. It came back now because it was something needed again,” said Ms. Hitzke. “I had a couple of students come to me for support and I knew that there were more students out there that also needed support and community. When I asked about GSA/ LGBTQ I was told there wasn’t an advisor, so I offered.”

      Along with more participation on the second week of club there were an estimated 18 people who came to the club meeting, more than the five who came the first meeting. Ms. Hitzke specified the plan for the club, and its goals.

     “My hope is that GSA continues to grow. In the month that we have been meeting we have tripled in numbers. I plan on having some guest speakers come and talk with the group about their experiences and accomplishments,” said Ms. Hitzke. “GSA is not just a club but it is a place where everyone is welcome, you don’t have to put on a show and pretend to be someone you are not, you just simply Be You.”    

      The students in the club have hope as well, about what they can get out of GSA.  

   “I was hoping to find more people who could relate to me and people I could empathize with,” said Gamboa. 

  The club aims to make the students feel safe in this space they can call their own.

     “This club makes me feel a lot more comfortable walking around school, ” said Gamboa. “Knowing that I have peers around me who will be on my side when I need it makes me feel safer.”