The Illinois Safe Schools Alliance ( the Alliance ) held its annual fundraiser, "The Alliance Brunch: On the Road" at the Chicago Cultural Center Oct. 6.
Standing as the Alliance's biggest fundraiser of the year, the event welcomed approximately 300 people into the Sidney R. Yates Gallery. Adults and youth celebrated the organization and its mission "to promote safety, support and healthy development for LGBTQ youth in Illinois schools and communities" with a brunch and a silent auction to win various prizes. Guests were also able to donate money and buy buttons to support the Youth Committee.
"From the young people in schools to working with teachers and parents, I think being able to highlight these issues that anti-gay language unfortunately is pervasive in our schools, largely unaddressed and really it impacts all young people not just young people who identify," said Illinois Safe Schools Alliance Executive Director and Founder Shannon Sullivan. "So, being able to lift that up alongside all the other important ways that anti-bullying work is going on does have an impact. It does make schools safer and more respectful for students."
A Founding Members' Reception preceded this year's brunch gathering the founding members and recognizing them for their work. Featuring the talents of students in the Chicago school system also made this year's annual event unique with the Lincoln Park Chamber Choir's performance during the Founding Members' Reception and the desserts Chicago Public School's Culinary Program prepared and served to finish the afternoon.
Rocco Claps, Mary F. Morten and Casey Horton served as the event chairs, while the annual event, in its fifth year, honored Dr. Christie Aird of East Aurora District 131 with the Advocate of the Year Award for her support of policies to protect transgender and gender nonconforming students in her district; Northside College Prep High School senior Emma Leff with the Activist of the Year Award for her leadership in her school's Gay-Straight Alliance and involvement with the Alliance's Youth Committee; and Clinton Rosette Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance ( GSA ), DeKalb District 428, with the Ally of the Year Award for instituting one of the first middle school GSAs in Illinois, making this the first year the Alliance honored a middle school.
"It really was easy [selecting the winners]," said Sullivan. "There's just such standouts over the last year. We're really excited to be honoring one of the first middle school gay straight alliances in the state of Illinois. The Clinton Rosette Middle School from DeKalb, Ill. is here today. The gay straight alliance is here with some of their sponsors and parents and teachers and that work is so ground breaking. To see middle schoolers organizing and being leaders and activists in their school, that's such an honor to honor them as ally of the year this year."
Sullivan pointed out the evolution of GSAs as it has been largely known as a high school organization and years before that it was something people did in college.
"I think it is so important to have it in junior high or middle school because young people are coming out younger and younger, but beyond that, in terms of bullying, we know that middle school is the most intense time for young people—usually sixth through eight grade," said Sullivan. "So having support, your friends and allies, supportive adults that you have ready access to in middle school is really going to be protective in terms of kids continuing in school, going onto high school, etc."
Sullivan was also pleased to recognize Aird with an award. Having grown up as a lesbian, Aird said she has always been passionate about helping kids because of the lack of help she had with nobody to reach out to or advocate for her. In today's world, she explained, kids can be more open, however when they put themselves out there, there is more opportunity for bullying.
"Today there's so much more opportunity for legal issues to be resolved and for that support to be there," Aird said. "I just did what I knew was best for kids."
Seeing a 6-year-old in her district's elementary school who was expressing like a boy, she thought about that student and what he or she would experience in the future. She took action by reaching out to Youth Outlook and the Alliance's Program Director David Fischer to develop a curriculum to support acceptance and affirm that student and what could be assembled to be able to support the student policy and procedures.
"I think for trans kids, that that's still not a very touched topic," said Aird. "I see a lot of kids that are quiet that maybe are expressing of the opposite gender and nobody talks about it. So there's a lot of professional development that needs to take place so bad. Educators don't know what to do. A large percentage don't know what to do to help. I think with the advocacy here, the Safe Schools Alliance, that with the push to pass laws, I think that's probably what's got to happen and that be required then for a district to have to do something about it. Unfortunately there are those that don't understand, the bigots, or people that really are maybe afraid. So there's all that pushback."
Aird has been in her district for about 18 years. She plans to retire in three years and is excited for that milestone because then she will have the time to devote to advocacy and volunteer work, specifically with Youth Outlook.
Leff started high school knowing she wanted to be part of the GSA. Now in her senior year holding a leadership position, she said she has loved every bit of her experience and aims to build a sustainable GSA that will continue to run effectively in years to come. Her future plans include being part of her college's GSA.
"My favorite part of the alliance is the respect there is for youth leaders," said Leff. "All the adults we work with are really supportive of everything we do and really want us to take a leadership role and help facilitate that and it's really amazing."
