The GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) Club placed posters in campus hallways in an effort to raise awareness of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) issues. The posters appeared on Monday, October 26.
Poster slogans included, “Better to be racy and sexy than to be racist and sexist,” and “My anaconda don’t want none of your misogynistic B.S.”
Freshman GSA member Zoe Ulloa explained, “We wanted to tell people around the school that it’s okay to be part of the LGBT community, and that throwing around words and discrimination in general isn’t okay.”
Another colorful posters asked, “Are women people?”
Ulloa said the intent was to get people’s attention. “I think when you put something that’s really catchy on a poster then people remember it better,” Ulloa said.
“I think the posters helped raise awareness, and that was the intention,” said GSA president, Emily Fields.
Of the posters, Ashley Thoms said, “I was talking about the signs. I thought they were great.”
“I was intrigued, like wow, that’s very cool. They definitely helped spread awareness,” said Chad Sonnenschein.
Another sign listed celebrities in the LGBT community, like talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and fashion designer Giorgio Armani. Ulloa said, “To have more gay people in the media is good because then people are more accepting.”
Other posters offered information about different sexual orientations
History teacher Lindsay Webb-Peploe said she liked the idea of the posters. “The sign that I had on my door I really liked, because it went through all the different terms for people’s sexual orientation. It didn’t just give basic definitions; it actually gave a little bit of history about it, whether or not it’s still used, and whether or not we should still use them ; and I actually found that really helpful,” she explained.
“I think a lot of high school students are thinking about their sexuality, and for some students questioning their sexuality, or who are discovering it, the signs they put up, or even just having the club on campus, hopefully gives students a safe place to examine this part of their personhood, and that is actually really important.” They are, “making people aware that their sometimes thoughtless actions might actually impact people in ways they don’t really think about,” Webb-Peploe added.
Fields agreed. “They’re to make people aware that we’re here. Not only to attract them but to make it clear that this campus is a safe space and that we have a safe space to be.” Despite the club’s support, Ulloa explains how she believes Moraga isn’t accepting, “In a big city, people would be more accepting because there’s more people like that and people who are diverse whereas in the suburbs people are in their own little world,” she explained.
“Most families raise their children to think, oh you’re going to be straight, you’re going to have a perfect family, and when you grow up you’re going to get married to the opposite gender and have kids and be perfect. So then when they hear something like oh there’s two girls together or two guys together or whatever, then they’re just like, ‘oh that’s weird, my parents didn’t raise me to think I was going to be with someone of the same gender,’” said Ulloa.
Ulloa also believes that religion is a factor in how people see gay people. “Personally, I’m catholic, so all about that bible. But even the Pope said gay people, like, it’s fine to be gay. God created all of us and if you’re born that way then God’s gonna accept you,” Ulloa said.
Some posters addressed the issue of gay marriage. Currently, 32 states allow it, and 18 don’t. Webb-Peploe believes it should be legal. “People should have the same civil rights regardless. That’s part of what a government should ensure. And right now couples can marry in some states and not in others but even more importantly, it means they don’t get rights and privileges that are associated with marriage in some states and not in others,” she said.
Ulloa agreed with that sentiment. “We (the US) are slowly getting there. States are starting to make it legal, I think it’s legal in California actually. Honestly, I think you should be able to marry whoever you want. If you love someone that much, and you want to be with them for the rest of your life, then you should be able to marry them,” Ulloa said.
Ulloa is optimistic about the future of the LGBT community. “In America, people are trying to fight for it, and get people to accept it more and more. So if there’s more people fighting for it, everyone’s gonna try and be accepting. Things are gonna change,” she said.
