AHS is relatively diverse in its social groups, but many fail to recognize the presence of a specific group. Although it is not a substantial portion of the school’s population, the LGBT+ group is a part of AHS just like any other group. LGBT+ refers to people who identify themselves as: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender, while the + denotes other gender identities that society tacks onto the acronym as time progresses, such as non-binary and pansexual.

Many people don’t notice students who associate themselves with the LGBT+ acronym and others stray away from the topic completely. Kristen Estep ‘16, who came out as bisexual in 8th grade, said, “it still feels like a taboo subject to bring up in conversation.” People avoid talking about the LGBT+ group for various reasons; yet, this lack of discussion is resulting in a general misunderstanding of what being a part of the LGBT+ group means. When Olive Walton ‘17 vocalized her identity as non-binary, many questions came up as to what that meant. In layman’s terms, non-binary is when a person feels as though they are neither a boy nor a girl, and thus use plural pronouns (they and them) to address themselves. Walton said, “not many people understand the concept of not feeling like a boy or a girl,” and that “there are some issues with people needing to be informed.”

Privacy is essential to keep in mind when discussing LGBT+. Kai Gallo ‘16 came out as gay last year, and has had multiple awkward experiences since. At one point, he said, “some students were asking me questions in depth and I began to feel uncomfortable.” He has also had some people talk about him and his sexuality while he’s in the same classroom and within earshot. Estep had to deal with a few similar, awkward occasions; she said, “I’ve had people try to convert me to different religions.” The staff at AHS tries to provide an environment where everyone feels safe and secure. Therefore, any use discriminatory or rude language is a taboo. Their efforts are relatively successful considering that Estep, Gallo, Walton and Amber Flynn ’16, who came out as a lesbian during her freshman year, all said that they feel comfortable at AHS despite some past occurrences. Flynn said, “they really follow through with keeping it a safe environment.”

Currently, Walton is in the process of organizing a club for LGBT+ people. Although not everything is official yet, Walton hopes to have the club up and running before the end of second semester. The club will be a place for LGBT+ people to connect with each other, as well as for others to show their support. As the potential of a LGBT+ club at AHS increases, more information will surface.

For general information on LGBT adolescents, visit http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/lgbtq-youth