Edina High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance has served as a space for queer identifying students to gather for years. “It’s a safe confidential space,” GSA advisor Dylan Hackbarth said. “We get together and talk about what life is like.” Even though Edina offers a safe space for queer youth, many state governments have taken a different route.
In the past year, approximately 417 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States. These bills affect LGBTQ+ citizens of all ages but have especially taken a toll on LGBTQ+ students.
Among these anti-LGBTQ+ bills, one especially impacts queer youth was by the Florida state government. It has been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law. This law states that education on sexual orientation or gender identity can not be introduced in a school setting in grades kindergarten through third grade. Legislation such as the “Don’t Say Gay” law has become a central concern within Edina’s GSA. “Even things like getting ID changes or, say you’re a queer youth trying to escape an abusive situation, it becomes really difficult when you don’t have that same legal personhood,” Edina’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance leader and senior Rachel Bond said. “These law are dangerous because lawmakers can get away with it, but the people that it affects can’t do anything about it.”
Even though these laws are primarily being implemented in southern states, many believe that they will also affect queer students throughout the country as they spread anti-LGBTQ+ mindsets. “It’s going to affect the mentality people have around their identities very negatively,” senior GSA leader Arshi Barua said.
Even as other states begin to limit LGBTQ+ rights, Minnesota has become a safe haven for queer identifying Americans. “I think it’s important to celebrate those things happening within the state of Minnesota [which allow] all citizens [to] live the life that they deserve to live,” Hackbarth said. “That may not be the case everywhere. So it’s important to acknowledge the good things, along with the challenging things that happen for people within these communities.”
In tune with Minnesota’s ideals of education and acceptance, Edina’s GSA is working to provide education in the community about topics such as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and equality for queer citizens. “We even teach about what different terms mean and how to be respectful to other people, [and] what to do in certain situations that might be difficult,” Bond said.
The GSA has also worked to achieve equality through the Minnesota Youth Summet. “This is where different schools get together and talk about different kinds of workshops, and things that can affect the [queer] community,” Bond said. “It’s just going to be important for everyone to understand.”
As the Gender and Sexuality Alliance expands, they begin to discuss the implications of homophobia and anti-LGBTQ+ mindsets around the world. “We’re planning to talk more about different cultures and the queer identities and those cultures,” Barua said. “I think there’s like so much potential to help teach other students about it and to spread the word of GSA.”
