PRIDE
The cafeteria buzzes as kids stand in line to receive free cupcakes courtesy of the then Gay/Straight Alliance Club, now they have a new name to go by. PRIDE: People Really Interested In Demonstrating Equality. This club consists of about 15 people who meet every Friday during tutorial in Cerena’s room. This year they decided it was time for a name change that reflects their mission better.
“We wanted something more unique and more specific to the AHS environment. It doesn’t label us as one thing or another and lets us stand for a number of issues,” junior PRIDE member Jack Dresser said.
The issues that they stand for revolve around the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community and their straight allies.
“The purpose is to provide education and awareness for the LGBTQ issues and help members of this community find support,” Dresser said.
The club has done a lot this year to educate the school and themselves about the obstacles the LGBTQ face, and ways to deal with the problems. The group took a trip to Denver over Homecoming weekend to participate in a GSA Summit convention.
“At Summit we participated in workshops that lectured about subjects that surround the LGBTQ community,” sophomore PRIDE member Julia Foran said.
They also gave out free baked goods on National Coming Out Day on October 11th. They still have many more goals for this year.
“We’re planning on having a lot of speakers come to talk to the PRIDE club, also observe important days in the LGBTQ community like Day of Silence, Day Against Homophobia, and being involved in Gay Ski Week,” Dresser said.
The club also wants to participate in something like the GSA Summit again, but this time with a little twist.
“We want to go on more trips like Summit. We also want to host one at the school, in which we would have our own workshops and GSAs from other schools would come and stay,” Foran said.
This club has been at AHS for 5 years now and the school has responded well to its appearance, and so has the Aspen community.
“We recently received a grant from Aspen Out, a non-profit organization that is looking forward to helping out PRIDE Club grow,” Dresser said.
The club is always looking for new members, and despite normal assumptions, it is not only for the LGBTQ. Straight people are welcomed into the club as well, that is why the old name was the Gay/Straight Alliance club. Their purpose is to find support and help people gain an understanding of the LGBTQ. To create a greater understanding they will need support from all people, not just those who identify as LGBTQ.
If you’re passionate about the cause why not join, or if you just want to learn a little more don’t be afraid to drop by one of the meetings, it’s never too late to become a member.