Christopher Medina experienced unfair treatment because of his sexual orientation at his middle school. When he started his freshman year at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School this year, he revived the Gay-Straight Alliance to ensure that all student are treated equally in high school.

Since there was not a GSA club in Medina’s middle school, he felt that people weren’t used to the subject and didn’t understand. Medina believes that having a GSA club creates a safer environment on campus.

“The world that we’re in has accepted bullying as a normal childhood activity and it shouldn’t be,” Medina said.

The rate of teenage suicide has increased in the LBGT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community to 40 percent in the past few years. Thirty percent of youth suicides are related to the issue of sexual identity. Students who are in the LGBT community are five times more likely to miss school because they do not feel safe and may eventually drop out. Sixty-four percent of LGBT high school students say they don’t feel safe at their school because of their sexual orientation, according to makebeatsnotbeatdowns.org. These teens are more likely to attempt suicide because of lack of comfort and constant bullying from peers.  

This year is the second year for the GSA club at DPMHS.

Paul Viskanta, the sponsor of GSA, first started this club in the 2009-2010 school year when he was approached by one of his students to start the club. Viskanta feels that LGBT bullying awareness in this school is better with the support of students and teachers. He believes that it’s the students’ interest to start the GSA club.

“I think it’s because of the student’s comfort with the subject that the clubs of GSA have increased. More GSA clubs doesn’t mean there is more bullying,” Viskanta said.  

GSA is held every Tuesday in Room 15. The GSA  focuses on minimizing LGBT bullying in school and in society. The club talks about current events within the LGBT community and how to accept each other. It does not force expressing sexual orientations and people choose whether or not to be open in the group or stay private.

Students assume that attending GSA automatically makes you part of the LGBT community, but GSA requires cooperation between all sexual orientations. GSA is about accepting each other and making society a better place for everyone.

“We are a group of young individuals who inform the students of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School the practices and teachings of the LGBT community,” freshman Alyssa Cruz said.