Being a Good Human

Progress+Pride+Flag

Aidan Janney, Co-Editor in Chief

Coronado has had significant issues with welcoming students of different identities in the past. These offenses are not only limited to decades ago, but even in recent memory there have been countless individual and systemic elements of discrimination against students that belong to different minority groups. In recent memory, past administrators at Coronado and D11, would not allow for a GSA to be established at Coronado, and this is only one of many examples. An even more serious pattern that truly cuts to the heart of these issues is how students and teachers can create a hostile atmosphere. Refusing to use someone’s correct pronouns, making an off-hand ‘joke’, or most recently, outward aggression towards the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) chapter at Coronado are all aggressive actions that target and harass LGBTQ+ youth, and they continue to happen.
At the end of September, SAGA had posted signs around school, so students could come to meetings and support a better community and space for LGBTQ+ people at Coronado. The following week, many of the posters had been torn down or covered up in a clearly targeted action. Ms. Jacobs, the teacher sponsor for SAGA, explained that, “security found out who it was … administration knows who it is, [and it was] an adult in the building. I put a few more of them up, then I noticed more of them were gone, and I asked security and admin to look into it again; this time it was a kid.” These two occurrences are not isolated, and Ms. Jacobs elaborates further that “Coronado as a whole is not the most welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people, and there definitely needs to be a repair in the culture. In the past there have been students and staff that have harassed and bullied LGBTQ people, sometimes contributing to them attempting suicide or leaving our school, and I think there’s a lot of work to be done. It feels like the school is regressing now.” It is frustrating, not only for Ms. Jacobs, but for so many other students or staff members that find themselves directly or indirectly targeted by these aggressive actions. Ms. Jacobs puts it very simply that “Coronado needs students and other staff members to stand up,” and they need to take on responsibility for their actions and responsibility for challenging the actions of those around them. Hopefully, when more people are aware of the problems that the LGBTQ+ community faces not only at Coronado but everywhere in the world, more students, staff, and community members will rise to the challenge of being a better, stronger, and positive ally.
Bullying and hate is never acceptable, and when directed towards LGBTQ+ youth, it can lead to increased challenges with mental health, suicide, and escalated violence against these students. It isn’t enough to simply not participate in these acts of aggression; students and staff alike at Coronado need to actively condemn these actions while deliberately creating safe spaces and respect for students. These actions should not be only reliant on LGBTQ+ teachers or students because everyone can do a better job of supporting others, advocating, and promoting more compassion and encouragement. Ms. Jacobs once again says it best, “It all comes down to being a good human.”

There are many resources for contributing and helping LGBTQ+ students, movements, and spaces, a great place to start is with:
GLSEN, they work to provide resources and education for teachers and students to become better allies and supporters through stickers, signs, training, and other resources.
Educating yourself, speaking up in some situations while listening in others, and simply being considerate towards the people around you are small steps that can make a huge difference.