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Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Mt. Vernon HS GSA inspiring event |
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| Mt. Vernon HS GSA inspiring event | |
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by Rev. Barbara Allen, CMP -
SGN Contributing Writer The Mt. Vernon High School Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) created an unprecedented, awesome, miraculous, superb event on February 22-23. Their Over the Rainbow Festival was two years in the making, most of it persevering through bureaucratic obstacles, standing up for their rights to the Mount Vernon School District (MVSD). They also had on their side Librarian Cathy Pfahl as their first GSA advisor, and then seven additional faculty members who joined her as group advisors. This took courage, determination, and a lot of hard work. But the end result was a groundbreaking historic event that may become a model for other high schools throughout Washington, and beyond. Approved by the Student Senate in 2007, the GSA then had the same status and rights as any other official Associated Student Body club, such as chess, drama, debate, art, Spanish, etc. By February of 2007, the GSA set goals for themselves and other marginalized groups: 1. To combat homophobia and other bigotry at MVHS 2. To educate students and the community about GLBTQ issues. 3. To foster fun events for the club and school 4. To support one another in a caring, accepting atmosphere. The youths needed and wanted support, but the most needy were the least able to advocate for themselves or be activists. They'd been taught fear at home, in the community, and at school. Miraculously, some students, willing to stick their necks out as activists, began to make things happen. They were intelligent, articulate, well researched, informed, and at all times well mannered, regardless of how frustrating things became. They wanted to make the GSA presence known in a positive way in their community. Pride Foundation provided a grant of $2500, and the GSA ran with this and their advisors and supporters towards the informative, enlightening, educational, and delightful weekend event. While the Rainbow Festival was not sponsored by the MVSD, the youths stated that they felt safer over the weekend than at any time when school was in session. On Friday, February 22, they presented the award-winning documentary For the Bible Tells Me So, an intimate view of five Christian families struggling to reconcile their faith and their love for their Gay child to a standing-room-only audience. On Saturday February 23, after an encouraging and validating keynote address by School Board member Dr. Robert Coffey, Kathy Reim, chapter president for Skagit PFLAG, Dean Jackson from the Pride Foundation, and Patrick English presented the values of telling our stories and listening to others. There were compelling stories of the search for healing and hope. A variety of civil rights workshops followed throughout the day. After a dinner break, the GSA presented the first-ever "Fantastic Fabulous Rainbow Variety Show." From the courageous and determined Cathy Pfahl: "For me the most beautiful part of the event was the kids having an opportunity to be completely themselves in a public school & for the MVHS kids to be able to feel truly at home in their school &for kids from outside the district to experience this in another school and take home hope that they could feel that comfortable and accepted in their own schools some day, including the Community College." The Festival was beautiful and well-thought-out - right down to adequate direction signs to the event, with highly positive energy and validation all around. Hopefully Cathy, Kathy, and the GSA and their supporters will put together a guideline from their experience of how to make this happen so that other schools won't need to completely reinvent the wheel. However, each school and district will present its own hurdles and challenges. Many thanks to Pride Foundation and all those who helped to make this a totally inspiring reality. |
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| picture - Cathy Pfahl GSA advisor | |
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