Schools should be safe spaces where LGBTQ+ students won’t be judged and are provided with equal opportunity
Throughout Winter 2021, young people from Out Now, a queer youth organization in Springfield, MA, worked to develop statements on what they need in order to do well in school. They made audio and video recordings of their testimony and are planning activities to share their perspectives with other youth and with adult decision makers.
I would like to talk about the importance of creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth at school. Read Lonelypilot’s Statement
They did not focus on me as an individual; I felt more like they herded us like cattle. Read Briar’s Statement
Teachers play a very important role in how we feel as students. Read Ethan’s Statement
Trans kids shouldn’t be scared to go to school, and they shouldn’t have to be put under more stress feeling like they need to educate their peers. Read Kellin’s Statement
Out Now is a 22-and-under, youth-led, adult-advised, queer youth organization that works to promote harm reduction, self-determination, and community building through anti-oppression organizing. We are working toward individual and collective liberation at home, in schools, and throughout society. We are located in Springfield, MA.
Queer youth throughout the United States lack political power and opportunities. To create space for youth to build power, we use to a youth development model where youth are in leadership of the planning and programming of the organization. Intergenerational relationships coexist and are valued, though our primary focus is on developing an organization that respects and encourages youth to be critical thinkers and leaders sharing a commitment for justice for all.
If you would like to learn more about Out Now feel free to contact: outnow@comcast.net or call: 413-736-4610.
Painted by Mimi Ditkoff. Designed in collaboration with the youth from Out Now. A video by Focus Springfield Community TV.
Inspiration for the mural came from a Students Speak project where Out Now students shared their educational experiences and what they need to be successful in school.
It is important for LBGTQ youth’s stories to be shared and help them to be seen and heard. They hope to make a change in what is going on in the public school system.
The mural is a comparision between experiences in school now and what it might look like in the future.
Made possible by Fresh Paint Springfield, Common Wealth Murals and Springfield Residents
The mural was truly a community effort. We thank everyone for their support. This video slide show features Springfield residents and artists who participated in the making of the mural in June of 2021.
This website is dedicated to the valuable lessons we can learn from students’ own experiences about how to create better schools. Decisions about schooling are often made without listening deeply to students themselves. But students are in the best position to understand what they need in order to do well in school.
A collaboration of the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI), Harvard Law School and Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC). LEARN MORE