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New Year, Same Awesome Club

Establishing Goals

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Introductions!

Name
Pronouns
Share a “Hooray!” → a piece of good news

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Answer your favorite question!

If you had to describe yourself using three words, what would they be?

If your queerness were an animal, what animal would it be and why?

What LGBTQ+ movies/shows/books influenced you growing up?

What historical, & famously LGBTQ+ person, would you be?

What time period would be significantly more fun with a LGBTQ+ leader?

If you could host a dinner party with 3 LGBTQ+ people, who would you choose?

What is one thing you want older generations to know about teenagers today?

What are you most excited about for this school year?

Would you rather live in the ocean or on the moon?

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Identity Spotlight:

October 26th is Intersex Awareness Day! Have you seen the intersex flag before?

1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits - which is comparable with the number of people born with red hair!

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Black LGBTQ+ Pioneers!

DAVID KATO (1964-2011)�Gay rights actvist and founding father of Uganda’s gay rights movement

ESSEX HEMPHILL (1957-1995)�Poet known for In The Life, one of the first collections of writings by Black gay men

ZANELE MUHOLI (1972- )�South African lesbian activist, renowned photographer & filmmaker

BARBARA SMITH (1942- )

Black feminist writer & activist who co-founded the first book publisher for women of color�

This slide highlights Black LGBTQ+ individuals whose contributions to Black & LGBTQ+ history should be recognized. Facilitators can connect their work to the action projects students will participate in later.

February is not the only time we learn about Black History, just like June is not the only time we should be focused on PRIDE & just like March is not the only time we learn about Women’s History! Black History is a 365 day, year round event & so is PRIDE. Pride is not a month long celebration, but truly a life long celebration.

Barbara Smith is Black lesbian feminist scholar, author, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. She co-founded the Combahee River Collective and co-authored their statement, which became one of the earliest explorations of the intersection of multiple oppressions. In 1980, Smith co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, the first U.S. publisher of books for women of color,

Essex Hemphill was poet and performer and considered a literary voice in the Black gay community. His writings were described as “brash, bold, provocative, and edgy.” Hemphill was openly gay and unapologetic about his sexual orientation. His earlier works addressed the impact of AIDS in the Black & LGBTQ+ communities. He received national recognition after his anthology, In the Life, was released in 1986. It was one of the first collections of writings by Black gay men.

David Kato was a Ugandan gay rights activist. He is considered a martyr and founding father of Uganda’s gay rights movement. In 1998, he held the first gay rights news conference; due to this, he became the first publicly gay person in the country. Following the conference, police officers arrested and physically assaulted Kato (homosexuality is illegal in Uganda). In 2004, Kato co-founded Sexual Minorites Uganda (SMUG), a gay rights group. In October 2010, Kato’s photo and addressed were published in a newspaper along with other prominent gay & lesbian activists. He sued the newspaper and won, but would the damage was done. On January 26, 2011, Kato was murdered in his home.

Zanele Muholi is a South African lesbian activist and renowned photographer & filmmaker. She co-founded the non-profit Forum for the Empowerment of Women in 2002, the first Black lesbian rights organization in South Africa.

For more information about these pioneers, visit:

Barbara Smith - https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/smith-barbara-1946/
Essex Hemphill - https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/hemphill-essex-1957-1995/
David Kato - https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/kato-david-c1964-2011/
Zanele Muholi - https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/muholi-zanele-1972/

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What are your club goals/dreams?

What event do you want your GSA club to curate/plan for this year?

By the end of the year, what project/change do you want to achieve?

Examples of action projects your GSA can work on this year:

Bake Sale for Fundraising to plan a Field Trip

Posting Around School: Gender Pronoun Tree

Hosting Queer Panel Event

Decorating Bathroom with Affirmation Post Its/Gender Inclusive Language Signs

Creating an Educational Bulletin Board

Working with School Leadership for Inclusive Curriculum (attending board meetings/PDs)

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Examples of Student Action Projects:

Photo 1: Pronoun Tree

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Photo 2:

Panel discussion on support for the transgender community

This slide shows physical examples of projects students have done in previous years. These are some tangible projects students achieved at their own schools - they are meant to act as a source of inspiration for future students.

The first visual is of a Pronoun Tree that can be recreated within a school building. This tree was created with paper and paint and educates students and staff on various pronouns that can be utilized by a person. This tree educates the viewer and becomes a form of representation, enabling LGBTQ+ youth to feel validated and respected within their school.

The second visual showcases a pamphlet from a panel event curated by a GSA club. This panel brought together transgender individuals and their allies to speak on and about their community. This event was a collaborative effort and enabled LGBTQ+ youth and their allies to educate their peers and the larger school community on how to respect everyone's gender identity.

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How do we start?

To outline our goals for the year, let’s make a vision board!

Vision board = a collage of images and words representing a person's wishes or goals, intended to serve as inspiration or motivation

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Vision Board Examples:

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Presentation, Facilitator’s Guide, and Session Extension created by:

Marilena Rocco, Martine Bowman, and Christa Mullins

Live Out Loud

25 Broadway 12th Fl

New York, N.Y. 10004

www.liveoutloud.org

This session and its materials are sponsored by the New York City Department of Education and Department of Youth and Community Development