For LGBTQ youth struggling with acceptance, GSA club member Jay Bruce recommends some resources for fitting in, building trust and finding ways to express themselves. 

“I definitely recommend checking out a site called “The Trevor Project.” Bruce said. “It is a charity meant to support LGBTQ kids going through a hard point in their life, about to commit suicide or just don’t fit in or experience a lot of bullying. So that is definitely one of them. Another one of them is to reach out to somebody who you trust.”

Another focus of LGBTQ support groups, like the GSA is suicide prevention. LGBTQ youth often struggle with suicide because of nonacceptance from their guardians or parents, which leads to them having challenges everyday and finding it hard to be themselves.

“Some of the biggest challenges and frustrations that I would think is most of the transgender students aren’t fully transitioned yet,” Bruce said. “They would constantly get either dead named or misgendered by students or teachers. Sometimes accidental, other times on purpose.”

Misgendering is one of the things that makes it hard to come out. It can be scary when people you trust make fun of you or they tell you they don’t wanna be friends with you anymore because of your true identity. 

“I genuinely want people that are coming into high school to know that they’re welcome.” Bruce said.

One tip Bruce offers for students being misgendered is to say something.

“Say, hey, this isn’t my right name, or hey, this isn’t my right pronouns. I go by these pronouns and this name, and I hope you can respect me and my choices.” Bruce said.

There are ways that people express themselves through little things, the little things help hint at gender and sexuality without it being huge and noticeable for families who may not accept them. 

“Yeah, some ways that you can express yourself include, like subtle hints, pronoun pins, or like stickers, pronouns, maybe with the flag colors. Also, pieces of clothing too, shirts, socks, shoes, sometimes pants, maybe even a hat. But sometimes people go all out.”

There’s also a club for lgbtq youth going on in the highschool for people who face exclusion. 

“GSA basically is a club that includes everybody no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Bruce said. “It can make students that don’t feel like they fit in finally like having a home that they feel comfortable in sharing like all of their personal struggles and stuff like that.”