Gay Straight Alliance- MCPS middle schools

[Anonymous]

If your child has joined, has it been a positive experience?

Also curious whether all of the middle schools have one.

[Anonymous]

daughter joined this year as a straight ally. Actually, she identifies as asexual.

She is having a great time with like minded kids. They want to advocate for themselves and speak up. They are doing so with staff guidance (health teacher).

it has been a positive experience.

They didn't have a group in their school last year, so I can tell you not all schools have one. This group of friends where some identify as gay advocated to have one on campus this year.

[Anonymous]

I got lost and wandered in here, but my DD is in middle school in SF and she joined her school's. So did a bunch of her friends, both straight, gay, and ummm .... questioning.

It's kind of un-needed here yet it would seem weird if schools didn't have one, so they have it. But everyone accepts everyone and it's a non issue.

[Anonymous]

My child is at a school where there is a large LBGT segmelnt but there is still a lot of bullying. I wonder in such an environment if belonging to the GSA leads to more bullying?

[Anonymous]

Really? Middle school?

[Anonymous]

My daughter joined the Gay-Straight Alliance at her middle school in 7th grade at first to be s straight advocate for her friends.

By 8th grade, she was the vice president and took on a lot of responsibility. She also was beginning to question her own sexuality.

One of the things she was proudest of was providing a place for kids to meet with other kids going through these issues when they did not have a home environment that was safe or open for them to talk about their sexuality. It was an incredibly positive experience and she has become involved in many other social justice forays as a result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? Middle school?

Kids can know by elementary school. Kids can face bullying based on sexual orientation (accurate or not) by elementary school. Why is middle school an inappropriate age to be inclusive and supportive?

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of bullying in middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? Middle school?

If your kid identified as straigtht at 12 would you question that, too?

I'm a lesbian who knew at age 8. I can't imagine how different my adolescence would have been if there were gay-straight alliances in my middle school.

[Anonymous]

Why not start at pre school

[Anonymous]

Do kids start dating in preschool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not start at pre school

Well my daughter is in 1st grade and there is a boy in her class growing his hair out, wearing girl clothes (no dresses yet) and asking to be called a she. So yes, I think there is nothing wrong at all talking about LGBT for younger kids. It is amazing how many people still think it is taboo. I have kids in elementary, middle and sophomore in high school. They all know everything and judge no one. If there is any bullying in middle like other claimed, it is just from kids with ignorant parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? Middle school?

There was another thread about kids hooking up in middle school, so yes, middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? Middle school?

There was another thread about kids hooking up in middle school, so yes, middle school.

Two kids were caught having sex in the bathroom at our middle school last year in MoCo. So, yes, middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? Middle school?

Two pregnant kids in middle school here. Middle school is too late