Rebecca Levinger ’11
Staff Writer

In response to the recent death of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi and other highly publicized homosexuality and bullying related suicides,  GLOW (“Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever,” formerly the Gay Straight Alliance) dedicated a recent meeting to discussing the status of lesbian, gay, straight, bisexual and transgender  (LGBT) students in our community.

“I would say the school is a safe community compared to other communities,” said GSA Co-President Mike McGuire, ’11. “To be out in school you won’t be tormented. In a physical sense there’s no harassment, but there is, in a stealth[y] way, animosity.”

“Face to face, it’s not a problem,” agreed GSA Co-President Anna Morrison ’12. “[But] people’s social reactions to me have changed. Walking down the halls, you can tell there is an issue people have with you if you’re gay. There’s a wall that goes up.”

Members of the GSA feel that most bullying of LGBT students takes place online, especially on Formspring, a Web site that allows users to ask anonymous questions. “I think there is an unwillingness to be open about homophobia,” said McGuire. “Having the ability to leave [an anonymous] comment on Formspring is a way to get your point out without making a point about you.”

Many GSA members feel offended by peers’ comments on Formspring. “What people do is comment really offensive things,” said Maggie Peebles-Dorin, ’12. Sam Scott ’14 added, “I think the worst thing about it is that you have no idea who it is.”

Assistant Principal Jamie Chisum agreed that the Internet is a frequent source of bullying, noting that he receives a cyberbulling report “about once a week.” “A lot of times there’s not a lot to do with it,” he continued, “and sometimes there is a lot.”

Although online bullying is common, the GSA has used social networking Web sites for positive change. Thanks to a Facebook campaign, over 500 students and faculty members at the high school wore purple on Wednesday, October 20, as part of a national endeavor by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to show support for LGBT youth.

Despite this success, Morrison feels more work is necessary to create a community that is equally supportive of both straight and LGBT students. “I feel people don’t hear enough from the LGBT students,” she said. She cited that few LGBT students shared their experiences at the spring 2010 tolerance-focused assembly and were consequently treated warily. “People can’t connect and understand.”

Morrison hopes that LGBT students do not feel the need to hide themselves from the community, even if it may be uncaring. “Coming out is scary enough,” she said. “If I just stood up an said ‘people have bullied me online,’ no one would want to come out. That’s always my inner battle with it, not making people shy about coming out based on what they’ve heard.”