Breaking Boundaries and Creating Alliances

Students+show+they+stand+against+bullying+by+painting+their+pinkies+blue.+

Students show they stand against bullying by painting their pinkies blue.

Casey Fitzpatrick, Staff Writer

As of this 2015-2016, OLCHS has recreated a (GSA) Alliance club with the central focus of “being the good that you want to see in your surrounding environments.”

Alliance clubs are appearing in schools nationwide with the goal to empower the students in order to advocate a movement and protect the growing generation, especially LGBTQ+ youth, victims of racial and gender prejudice, and trans queer.

As stated in the OLCHS Alliance club’s mission statement, “the central focus of Alliance is to encourage all members and allies to apply the positivity we promote into our personal lives, and those around them.
The club goes on to say, “Educate peers about evolving roles in society.”
By having clubs like Alliance in schools, students and families will be able to promote awareness, as well, to prejudiced groups and remind everyone in these clubs that everyone is deserving and capable of a safe and healthy lifestyle.

According to the GSA Network website, over 900 Alliance clubs have appeared in California alone, and thereby unites 40 other statewide networks of GSA clubs.

Just this year, Alliance has participated in Harmony Week, Anti-Bullying Week, and consulted with LBGTQ+ therapist, Dr. Rachael Vander Linden. Alliance also created the trend of having students paint their pinky finger nails blue in order to commemorate victims of bullying and show support for Anti-Bullying week.