On March 7 at 8:15 a.m., the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) will be hosting a gender and sexuality session to clear up any misconceptions the community may have about the aforementioned topics. Senior Haley Rushefsky and junior Jodie Chaloupka will present information about different gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as answer questions posed by the audience. Previously, GSA’s Q&A session was supposed to be held at 8:30 a.m. in late January, but due to the icy weather, it was canceled.

“[The Gender and Sexuality Talk is important] because people have been bullied a lot for their identity at school. It’s important for people to learn about it and understand it,” Chaloupka said.

Upcoming events featuring GSA will be Activism Night on March 28 at 5:30 p.m., which will raise awareness about different activism clubs in school and the issues they stand for. Day of Silence, held on April 11, is another upcoming event. In this case, students remain silent to honor the memories of and show solidarity with all people — especially lesbian, gay, bisexual, and Trans* (LGBT*) people — silenced by bullying and harassment.

The club, which is held in English teacher David Nutter’s classroom (E2114), meets every Thursday after school. Typically, GSA starts their meetings off with LGBT* news, whether it be with the members or news within the world. Afterwards, members participate in a “powwow” where they discuss relevant topics such as discrimination, bullying, and coming out.

“I like going to GSA so much because everyone here has a lot of experience with so many different things, and so many different backgrounds. Everyone is really accepting of all opinions and identities, and there is always at least one member present who understands and empathizes with your story. Story-sharing is a very prominent part of group meetings, and I always feel very respected when I speak,” sophomore Shay Bailey said. “It’s a really accepting, loving, and safe community.”