Love for All
Pride Club is a welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ and allied students to express themselves without the fear of judgment. Many schools across the world provide a Pride Club as a safe space for their LGBTQIA+ students to feel safe and have fun. It is a great place for students to hang out, have fun, and learn new things about themselves and others. Mentor High School’s Pride Club provides a welcoming environment for students and lets them feel less isolated or excluded. Several state statutes have been passed in recent years in regards to the LGBTQIA+ community, and Pride Club provides a welcome atmosphere while complying with these statutes.
A Safe Space
Having a Pride Club for students to meet others like them is great for schools to have because it opens up new opportunities for them to feel seen and heard. Most clubs have specific guidelines of what you’re supposed to be doing, and although you can hang out with friends and meet new people, Pride Club, especially Mentor High School’s, is an open club with little structure and lots of time to talk with other students. One of the Pride Club Student Leaders, Seth, stated their favorite aspect of the club is “the acceptance and company.”
Friends are an important aspect of life, and having ones who understand your struggles and opinions are even better, and Pride Club is a space where you can voice your opinions without the fear of being judged. Seth also stated, “inclusiveness is needed,” referring to how inclusiveness is essential in everyone’s lives, which is provided by Pride Club to the LGBTQIA+ community and all allies who need a welcoming space to express themselves. They are all about including everyone and making sure they create a positive space for all.
Isolation Within the LGBTQIA+ Community
Pride Club is a great way for students to chill and hang out with others. A lot of LGBTQIA+ students may feel isolated, and this club is a place where they can meet people who are also queer or an ally and have the opportunity to talk about things they otherwise wouldn’t with other friends or teachers. The other Pride Club student leader, Ollie, states how it’s a place where students can “feel like they’re not the only person in the whole world who feels like them.” Isolation is a large problem in the LGBTQIA+ community because of prejudice against them due to false ideas or simply fearing the unknown. Lots of queer people isolate or stay “in the closet” (a term for someone who has not “come out”/ told anyone they are queer), and keeping things bottled up is unhealthy, so Pride Club is a great way for students to healthily express their thoughts and feelings. Cynthia Gomori, one of the Pride Club advisors, says the club lets students “connect with other students going through similar situations,” helping them develop empathy — a super important skill for communicating and understanding others.
Where Friendships (and Snacks) Thrive
Pride Club is also a great place to socialize and just hang out or make new friends. Mentor High School’s Pride Club also provides food, which is a favorite of the members, as one states, it’s their favorite part of coming to the club every Wednesday. Socializing is important in building social skills and the ability to communicate with others effectively.
Pride Club is a space where socializing is encouraged, which benefits all members, especially since it gives them an opportunity to meet new people and make friends. Most members are friends with one another, as it is (unfortunately) a relatively small club currently, but everyone gets to meet new people and form lifelong friendships.
Creating, Connecting, and Celebrating at Pride Club
They do many different things in Pride Club that include everyone and their interests. They are currently working on making fundraiser items to help pay for a bus to go to a Pride event next year. Pride Club has fun questions to start the club that everyone answers with their own opinions and twists. They include LGBTQIA+ facts and history, so the members can learn new things about their community. After all of those activities, they have a social time where members can talk and socialize with others and make crafts. Pride Club provides many different opportunities for students to have fun while feeling safe to express themselves.
Why Anyone and Everyone is Invited
Some students are still figuring out who they are and what they feel — and that’s completely okay. Pride Club creates a space for all students to express themselves and whatever they may feel, and all members will support each other no matter what. As one member, Charlie, stated, “Do you think Einstein knew his math equations since day one?” reminding us how no one knows exactly what they feel when they first discover this part of them. Members support each other, and that’s why it’s a great place for queer students, those who are questioning, and allies can all come together, have a great time, and learn.
A Place for Everyone
To summarize, Pride Club is a safe place for all LGBTQIA+ and allied students to hang out, make new friends, and learn new things. Mentor High School’s club provides all of this (and snacks) for any student who wants to join. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQIA+ community or an ally who wants to learn and support others, Pride Club welcomes you. Come for the snacks, stay for the people!
