It’s that time of year again! This year GSAFE’s Walk/Run/Eat for Safe Schools event is extra special to me, because I will be walking with my by-then almost-9-month-old daughter,* Andromeda Jane.
I want AJ to attend schools where there is no question that LGBTQ people are included in the community just as they are, meaningful support is provided as a matter of course, and LGBTQ students can easily make connections with each other and supportive faculty and staff.
As a bisexual woman who has made an effort to educate herself about trans* issues, I would hope to provide a safe home environment for AJ regardless of gender or sexual orientation, but I know that even well-meaning individual allies can make painful mistakes. (Also, I’ve heard that teenagers sometimes don’t want to talk to their moms about their lives—weird, I know.) Every LGBTQ student deserves a community, and that is where GSAFE comes in, providing support and resources for GSA organizations in Wisconsin schools as well as a fantastic leadership institute outside of them, along with scholarships for LGBTQ students.
Many of AJ’s peers will not only lack support at home—they may in fact face additional homophobia and transphobia there. They need GSAFE most of all.
I am especially proud of GSAFE for continuing to work on adding racial and class justice to their mission, along with support for people with disabilities. If you are limited in your resources for LGBTQ charities, please give weight to the fact that GSAFE is working to include ALL members of the community, NOT just those who are White, middle-class, and normatively bodied.
My goal this year is $3000 for GSAFE. Ambitious, I know, but I’m doing it for AJ and all the kids like her who may not be safe in their own homes. Please help us meet this lofty goal. Every single dollar helps!
*Feminine gender provisionally assigned and subject to change. She can’t talk yet.
All signal boosts welcome!
