Opinions about some of East’s new policies go further than just silly jokes about monitoring how long it takes students to go to the bathroom. For some students, personal wellbeing and family life could be on the line with the lack of anonymity provided by identifying club measures.
A new identifying policy, put in place at the start of the school year, has sparked concern among members of the Queer-Straight Alliance club (QSA), a group intended to provide a safe space and welcoming environment for all East students, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. The new policy, requiring students to have visible stickers on their student IDs to indicate club participation, is used in order to admit students into classrooms for lunch meetings.
Club leadership and members worry that the new club identifiers could expose members who wish to remain anonymous for safety and personal reasons, and could lead to violence against them.
QSA co-leader Phoebe Reed says that not all East QSA members feel safe in the environment created by the new administration’s policies.
“The idea of having a sticker that identifies you as someone who goes to this club and is most likely queer is just a really terrible concept in general,” Reed said. “Especially if there are other students who know that the sticker exists, can see that and recognize, oh, this student is going to QSA, they might be gay, they might be trans. That’s just terrible…[and] can lead to severe bullying.”
Reed emphasizes that there is increased distress about privacy for students at school in concerns about N.C. following in Florida’s legislative footsteps, while nothing has happened yet. This sparks from Florida State House Bill 1557, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The F.L. bill requires educators to inform parents about “critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, physical health or wellbeing”, which can includes information about sexual orientation or gender identity. While there is no law similar to Bill 1557 currently in North Carolina, QSA members have raised concerns about the N.C. state legislature possibly passing a similar policy.
“There are definitely several members of the club who are worried about school being able to track students, which could require a situation where the school might legally be required to tell a parent, which can be something that is very dangerous for members who don’t have accepting parents at home,” Reed said. “I am lucky enough to have supporting parents, to be out at school and not be in a directly unsafe environment. But, I feel extremely empathetic for the several students I know who don’t have all these privileges… of being able to go back home and get called the right pronouns and the right name, and who are seriously worried that they can get kicked out of their house, beat up or worse by their parents if information is revealed.”
QSA adviser Jenny Marie Al Sheikhli feels that club member anonymity is necessary for the safety and purpose of the group. As a result, she keeps no records about the members of the QSA.
“I, officially as their adviser, don’t have a list [of members], and that is for safety reasons, so I can’t be coerced into handing over a list, [so] students can’t find a list somewhere or uncover it,” Sheikhli said. “[For] some students it’s a matter of safety for themselves, for their friends… and I think for obvious reasons, it needs to be anonymous.”
Associate Principal Tiffany Best says that the policies are ultimately in place to provide greater school safety through preventative measures.
“Club Stickers allow teachers on Lunch Duty to ensure students are where they are supposed to be at the appropriate time and are not roaming through the building unsupervised. A lack of supervision can result in mishaps occurring that could’ve been prevented with proper supervision,” Best explained in an email to the ECHO. “Members lists are needed so that we staff will know where students are in case of emergency.”
Best adds that knowledge of club lists is restricted.
“Only Administration, other members of the club, and the Faculty Advisor are privy to know who members of the club are. Club membership [and] rosters are not public information.”
Reed understands why East’s administration is concerned about safety and making sure “they know where students are,” but pleads for the school to be more understanding about this issue.
“Just please, care enough to do something to make the school a safer place for queer students. Because right now it isn’t.”
Image by Daniel Cefalo & Hammond Cole Sherouse/The ECHO
