Worcester Tech’s Gay Straight Alliance Club provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ members, and allows straight allies to show and provide their support. The GSA, led by adviser and English teacher Gail Holland, is a positive environment where students can drop their walls and truly be themselves. Members listen to each other’s experiences, problems and concerns, or just any difficult situation they may be experiencing, and talk to them with advice on how to get them through it. Overall the GSA provides an accepting environment for students to feel included and feel free to be one’s self. Tech GSA Meetings are held in Ms.Holland’s room every other Thursday and welcomes all students and faculty to join.
The club is important for “support and socializing and to provide a social framework for any advocacy that they want to do, to help and maintain a healthy atmosphere,” said Ms. Holland. When having a supportive space to talk, students feel more comfortable and confident in themselves. It’s a place where students know they have a trusted adult or friend that they can confide in. When people know that they have a place where they can go to, without being judged, it makes them feel more at ease with themselves and can let them know that somebody cares about how they feel or what they are thinking.
Ms.Holland keeps the mood in the room lighthearted and open to discussions about any topic that members choose. According to Holland, the GSA is “a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ youth, and their Allies.” It is for people who are having a difficult time, looking for advice, or just need a friend. Going to GSA meetings is different for everybody, and everyone can take something away from the meetings like, “Feeling empowered,” as one member summarized it.
Straight allies are very important in the LGBTQ+ community, the reason for this because having a person accept another person in general from any community, makes that person in the minority feel stronger about themselves. Having an ally just improves how an LGBTQ+ individual views themselves and the people around them.
Being an ally can help when a friend is joining the GSA because “They could be nervous and not want to go alone,” says Abigail King; a straight ally, and GSA club member. According to King, being an ally can help especially when “seeing a friend in emotional distress.” King finds it very important to be a supportive ally and friend to the people around her, and King stands up for many when they need it Abigail King makes an effort to make another feel better, more people could join and feel this support or give this support. The support from your friend, or an ally can be very encouraging and make the person feel confident.
For a current member, going into the Tech GSA was ”nerve-wracking” because they did not know what to expect at first and didn’t want to go alone. But as the meetings have progressed, this member says they have become more comfortable and more confident with speaking at the meetings. Allies have helped greatly with this.
Another member of Tech GSA said that coming out was, “Really stressful because I could not talk about it and if I tried people would laugh, thinking it was a joke or would make me feel bad whether it was intentionally or not.” But, this member emphasizes that Tech GSA creates a safe space where they could really express their feelings with trusted adults and other members who might be going through the same thing. As another member states, “No person should feel like they can’t talk about things that are going on in their life in general.”
With Ms.Holland, GSA members have a judgement-free place, a person they can rely on and trust with their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and just someone to talk to. Tech GSA is just an uplifting and loving place to be at and experience with friends.
The GSA is a very welcoming environment, for anyone of any background. The GSA is for every LGBTQ member despite being called the “Gay-Straight Alliance”, so students should not feel left out or afraid to attend- it’s for everyone.
If you see a friend may be having a little bit of a tough time just give them a little support, encourage them to join GSA. If they are afraid to go alone, take initiative and tell that friend you will go with them.
Ms. Holland will be sure to make you feel as welcome as possible in this club, and she will never push you to say anything you don’t want, or talk about something that you don’t want to talk about.
The GSA is a magnificent club for all to join, regardless of your background.