High school provides an emphasis on social growth and creates a space for students to mature and find their place in the world. At least, that’s what we’re told. In reality, school buildings more often than not serve as a breeding ground for a skewed social hierarchy where individuals who don’t conform to the generalized and biased “norm” are ostracized and ridiculed, often through verbal or physical microaggressions.

Now, I cannot speak for every group that serves as the largest target for these aggressions, as these biases pertain to a variety of civil categories at their core.  But there is a group I can very proudly speak as a member of, and that is the LGBTQIA+ community. 

While the world at large has collectively been making great strides towards a progressive, accepting home for all, the United States lags painfully behind. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, there are currently 508 bills either advancing through or already passed in state legislatures that include anti-LGBTQ+ clauses and regulations. Worse still, a large percentage of these bills specifically pertain to queer youth. This is a horrifyingly daunting reality for students within the states who can’t vote and therefore add their voice to the trenches of legal nightmares.

The overwhelming amount of legislation only serves to unmask the severe lack of acceptance that is carried throughout the population. This is not to say that there is no sun on the horizon, but many places are still unwelcoming or even unsafe for people like me to be in. Even though Nebraska is not a huge contributor to the outspoken bigotry plaguing our nation, there are still clear remnants of it that make their way into everyday life here, particularly amongst the younger generations whose minds have not yet reached full empathetic maturity. 

In my sophomore year, when I was beginning to find my footing amongst my community, my then friend group and I were very candid about our queerness. However, while it felt freeing to finally be among people who shared our experiences, and there was a majority of students and staff who greeted us with open arms, it still painted a massive target onto our backs. We would be approached during lunch by individuals seeking to mock or ridicule our orientations to get a good laugh from their peers. In the hallways, we would be followed by groups making barking noises at us, like we were dogs in a pound. Two to three times a week, my friend group would chronicle a different transgression, a new scorn against our way of life.

In one vivid instance during a particularly dense patch of hounding,  a group of young men followed me through the halls, barking and jeering insults I do not care to repeat here. They didn’t stop until I, nearly in tears, fled into the safety of my classroom. Unfortunately, this experience tends to be universal.

Luckily for the students at PLHS, there is a sun rising on the hill. Groups like the GSA (Gender-Sexuality Alliance) build a counter to ignorance within our school by taking the time to educate themselves and those around them about the nuances and history of the LGBTQ+, past, present and future. This movement of gaining and sharing knowledge will inevitably bleed out into the world as accepting students graduate and become accepting adults with enough weight to vote in favor of changing our systems for the better. 

There will always be opposition to progress, but with time and education the majority of hearts will sing alongside our queer Americans, a chorus that will herald a new era of widespread pride. 

To any students out there who may feel alone and scared in this ever-changing world around us, to any queer folk who may be hiding themselves for fear of rejection or worse, to all of those who feel helpless and alone, know that there are always people out there who will greet you with open arms and accepting hearts. Find your refuge where you need to, and don’t be afraid to speak out about your experiences. No matter what has been said or done against you, there will always be ears to listen and hands to catch you both within this building and in the world at large, if you just know where to look.