ONW is a very unique high school. One of our greatest accomplishments is the forming of the GSA or Gender Sexuality Alliance.
Josie Hilton, a senior here at ONW is a leader of this amazing group and I was able to interview her about it. This has been my favorite project so far as I am a huge advocate for LGBT+ rights and I'm very passionate about the goal of the GSA, to create a safe space for all LGBT+ students and allies.
For this project, we created a video feature story and a written feature story. The written part was probably the most complicated part for me. I am a visually creative person and it's kind of hard to imagine words on a page. I can easily visualize a video or animation, but papers are harder.
The video was my favorite part. I'm quite happy with how it turned out considering how many technical difficulties I had. My sound wouldn't record, or my tripod was broken. It was mess. It cam out strong though and the GSA really loved it.
Gender Sexuality
Alliance at Olathe Northwest
By Lizzie Swartwood Hour 6
The students walk through the empty halls after
school towards an empty English classroom. This room will soon be
filled the laughter of old friends and new friends as these students take their
places facing the front of the room towards their leaders. On the projector screen
is a page with big letters spelling out the words “Let’s to join together to
end the hate”. Behind it is a bright banner of genders and sexualities. This mirrors the room
which is filled with people of all shape and sizes, genders and sexualities. This in ONW’s Gender Sexuality Alliance or
GSA.
It’s a club where both LGBTQA+ students and Allies can join together to make
the world and the school a better place.
LGBTQA+, more commonly referred to
as LGBT+ or just LGBT, is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, and
Ace.
The plus refers to all other sexualities and gender identities not represented
by the acronym.
Josie Hilton is a senior and leader of
the GSA who fall under two parts of LGBT+, Bi and Ace. Josie identifies as an
asexual, biromantic female. This means that she doesn’t experience any type
of sexual attraction and is romantically attracted to both males and females.
This is her first year in the GSA as
she joined by the recommendation of a friend. She has the privilege of
leading this amazing group before she graduates.
“I’m
in charge of setting up all the meetings, coming up with the new topics that
we’re going to talk about and for me, that’s been the [best] part” She said.
Ms. Powers, the sponsor this
year, is very impressed with Josie and her leadership skills and elaborates on
her stance.
“Josie
is an amazing leader. We didn’t have elected officers. Basically, I just asked
who was interested in leadership and what qualified them…based on that I put
together five people and she has consistently been one of the people who shows
up to the meetings prepared…she runs the meeting with the help of the other
leaders. She’s great.”
The GSA used to be called the Gay
Straight Alliance, but they decided on a a name change this year in order to
make it more accepting and open.
“We
are a safe place where a community of people who’ve come together to embrace
the LGBT community and to also help both those in the community and allies
learn more about the different parts of the LGBT community and what it all
means,” Hilton says.
The GSA has been around Olathe
Northwest for about nine years now. It was created by the
students in order to create a safe place for anyone. Whether you are straight,
gay, questioning or anything else, this is place you can go to find community
and acceptance.
