The Sullivan Heights GSA

Leaving elementary school behind can be a scary transition for new secondary students.  Fortunately, there are many resources put in place to make the journey a more comfortable one.  Future students tour the school, meet the teachers, and are given bucket-loads of information.  Yet coming to high school is still scary, and sometimes, support networks are necessary.  For students identifying as lgbt+ (for the purposes of this article, the term “queer” will be used,) finding a place to fit in can be even more important.

This week, I sat down with the President of Sullivan Heights’ GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) to learn more about the club, its members, and what they are trying to accomplish.  Alex Westhaver, grade twelve, has been president for four years, as well as co-founding the club with former Sulli student Jasmine Broeder.  This group aims to educate both queer students and their non-lgbtq counterparts, as well as offering support for their growth into adulthood.  Alex believes that the GSA’s presence in our school stands to say, “We believe that it is important to support our students as people, no matter … who they are.”  The club meets in Mr. Dewinetz’s room every Wednesday, as a place where you can share your ideas and meet people you can relate to.

However, the club lives up to its name in providing a space where students who are not members of the queer community can also become educated on issues faced in today’s society.  On the topic of non-queer students, “everyone can join,” Alex says.  Contrary to what one may believe, to join GSA, “you don’t have to commit to [it] every single week or [to] one single identity, because identities are always changing.”

Alex has stated, “I think it’s really important to have queer specific spaces, but it would be my dream if the entire world could be an alliance between not just gay and straight people, but between human beings as a whole.”  The Gay-Straight Alliance of Sullivan Heights may be just one group, in just one school, but every single person who can find a place to fit in makes its existence worthwhile.