Seekonk Public Schools: Seekonk High School's New Gay-Straight Alliance Club Aims To Promote Inclusion And Acceptance Within School Comm ...

Press release from the Seekonk Public Schools:

Taylor O'Neil

April 5, 2021

Superintendent Rich Drolet and Seekonk High School Principal William Whalen are pleased to announce that Seekonk High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance club is once again promoting inclusion and acceptance within the school community.

“I’m extremely pleased to see an active Gay-Straight Alliance club within our Seekonk High School community,” Principal Whalen said. “At the high school, we want to ensure that all of our students feel welcomed and accepted. This club further promotes these messages of acceptance and serves as an ally to all LGBTQ+ community members.”

The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), which was created decades ago, was renewed at Seekonk High School after all school clubs were re-evaluated within the past year. The new and improved SHS-GSA club officially began in September 2020 after years of being inactive.

To get the ball rolling on the GSA’s new chapter, Seekonk High School teachers Jennifer Billings and Donna Laliberte offered to become the club’s new co-advisors.

The student-run club provides a safe meeting space for students to support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, and work to end homophobia and transphobia.

Currently, Seekonk High School’s GSA has approximately 20 student members who participate in virtual meetings twice a month. To date, the majority of the GSA meetings have been discussions about how to share messages of inclusion and acceptance while creating a positive environment for all students.

The club has also participated in numerous activities while abiding by all social distancing guidelines. So far this year, members and advisors Billings and Laliberte have put up bulletin boards, held a “Share the Love” campaign in February and hosted guest speakers.

Beginning in May, the GSA also plans to host school-wide events in anticipation of Pride Month in June.

This press release was produced by the Seekonk Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.