The kick off to Cal High’s Pride Week last month took place at Monte Vista with the annual Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) dance. 

Students from all district high schools came together on April 14 for a fun night of dancing and to raise money for the Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is a national 24-hour suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youths and young adults. Founded in 1998 it’s become the nation’s leading suicide prevention line. Covering a demographic people ages 13 to 24, the non-profit organization saves thousands of lives every year. 

According to the statistics provided by the Trevor Project, 40 percent of transgender men and women reported having attempted suicide. More than 90 percent of this group attempted suicide before age 25.

Students from Monte Vista, Dougherty, San Ramon Valley, and Cal paid $20 each for the dance and raised more than $2,000 for the Trevor Project.

“Having these safe spaces and events for LGBTQ+ youth is so immensely important in keeping the community strong and reminding us as we grow how important we are to each other.” Said sophomore GSA member Aimee Carvajal. 

“It’s hard to see the impact of all the good we’re doing with the GSA and community without having gatherings to commemorate and celebrate all the progress we’ve made,” she added.

 The dance was a semi-formal event, similar to prom or homecoming. 

“It was a fun social night with catering from Cream, but instead of being with just any people, it’s people that are all fighting for the same cause,” said sophomore Briana Berastain, noting this is just one event supported by GSA.

“We also do the GSA forum every February, which is for all GSA district members from middle to high school. We discuss issues and play games that have to do with queer issues,” she said.  

Berastain said the district has been able to have an open-minded attitude, but other districts aren’t so quick to accept others.

News stories of LGBTQ+ teens being denied entry into proms, homecomings, and winter formals constantly flood  social media feeds. There are reports of schools saying “no” to same sex dates and transgender men wearing tuxedos.

In September 2015, gay teen Lance Sanderson was suspended from his all-boys Catholic high school in Tennessee after trying to attend homecoming. He was previously told that it would fine for him to take a date of the same sex, but soon enough the administration revoked stating he wasn’t allowed because of “logistical reasons,” according to NewNowNext, an LGBTQ+ news outlet.

A change.org petition was started to allow Sanderson to attend the dance with his choice of date, but to no avail. 

Later, it was clarified the suspension was given for “the unwanted publicity” the school received. 

Another member of the LGBTQ+ community, Aniya Wolf, was kicked out of her prom in May 2016. She was told at the last minute that her choice of wearing a Tuxedo was against the school’s dress code, which stated that all females must wear formal dresses. 

Wolf told ABC27 News she decided to attend her prom anyway and was forcibly removed by the school’s principal, who threatened to call the police if she didn’t leave. 

“Providing LGBTQ+ youths with a sense of belonging helps them understand that they aren’t alone and that there are other people who have had the same experiences as them,” said senior Cassidy Atkinson. “It’s incredibly important for young people to not feel isolated in their society and among their peers. GSA’s events help prevent that from happening.”