The school year is well underway for junior high and high school students. For LGBT youth and their families, school can be frightening, intimidating and dangerous. Several organizations support and advocate for LGBT junior and senior high school youth. While Chicago has numerous resources, it’s important to note the resources available throughout Illinois.
According to its website, the mission of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is “to promote safety, support and healthy development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, in Illinois schools and communities, through advocacy, education, youth organizing and research.” The Alliance’s website is www.illinoissafeschools.org. They also have information on the social networking site, MySpace.
In the Peoria area, the Heartland Safe Schools Initiative (HSSI) works with concerned citizens and organizations to address the safety and welfare of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in local schools. For more information, email heartlandsafeschools@gmail.com.
The Bloomington/Normal-based Central Illinois Safe School Alliance (CISSA) is a coalition of local youth, parents, educators and others that seek to end the bullying of students in schools because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. CISSA works to “increase the awareness of administrators, faculty and staff, students, parents, and the community about the negative social, emotional, and academic consequences of anti-gay bullying and provide programs designed to prevent bullying of students based upon actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” For more information, email cissa.bn@gmail.com.
Several Illinois high schools have Gay Straight Alliances, which are student-formed groups that address issues of discrimination, tolerance, and school safety. For more information, contact the Gay Straight Alliance at www.gaystraightalliance.org.