by Makenzi Green, Reporter, WVTV
AURORA – Waubonsie Valley’s Gender Sexuality Alliance has joined together for the holidays to help those in need. The club meets on Tuesdays after school to help make Waubonsie a more inclusive school and to celebrate the differences in students.
“It’s a space that provides queer folks like myself and others a chance to hang out and meet after school,” said GSA president Mira Zatzenbloom. “High school’s hard but especially for queer folks and a chance to hang out with and be open and talk about our shared experiences, it’s refreshing and very enjoyable. Being at GSA has really given me the confidence to start using my pronouns and to start being more open with my identity in school.”
During this week’s meeting GSA put together stockings for Youth 360 Services.
“The Youth 360 Services in Naperville provides housing for queer folks who have been kicked out of their homes due to parents being unloving and unsupportive. So here in our GSA, we’re trying to fill that gap by sending a bit of comfortc, a bit of love for kids who are really just like us. We’re putting little comfort items, candy, Chapstick, stuffed animals, blankets, all things to help make the space more homey. It’s a service project. An important part of being queer has always been understanding that we’re really lucky because we’re in a space right here in GSA that’s supportive, that is good for us unconditionally. There are kids, there are people who don’t have that and that’s horribly unfair, so anything that we can do to help alleviate that injustice, we will.”
GSA meets on Tuesdays after school in room 303. For more information, visit wvgsa.weebly.com.