Pride Week at Greenwood

At Greenwood, we believe every student should feel safe and included in our community. Pride Week is a time to show acceptance and support for the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum.

The Diversity Committee drove the week’s initiatives, with support from the Jack Chapter. Morning thought activities got students thinking about issues that face the LGBTQ+ community, their own identities, and ways that allyship can be effective. The Jack Chapter ran an activity, “A Quest of Questions,” that encouraged students to consider the unique mental health challenges that members of the LGBTQ+ community may face, and ways that they can seek support and guidance.

At lunch, students danced to iconic LGBTQ+ musical hits spanning from the 1980s to today, including The YMCA and hits from Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. Another exciting highlight? A nail-painting fundraiser in support of Pflag gave students a visible way to show their Pride or allyship with the LGBTQ+ community.

The week’s events culminated in Friday workshops for Grade 9-12 students and a presentation from Get Real for the Grade 7-8s. Get Real’s presenters talked about their own experiences within the LGBTQ+ community, ways to explore and understand different identities, and the vast diversity of gender and sexuality spectrums. They stressed the importance of supportive and understanding allies.

Grade 9-12 students chose between 11 different workshops, many of which were organized and run by students. The seminars explored LGBTQ+ issues—such as stigma and mental health—and achievements in areas including the arts and activist history. A student-run seminar on LGBTQ+ issues and international law had students match up countries with the discriminatory laws within their legislation; it built understanding about the varied experiences of LGBTQ+ people worldwide, and the importance of continued activism. Another highlight was a Skype conversation with Amanda Froese, a barrier-breaking transgender athlete. Students learned about the history of activism, along with problems that the community continues to face today.

Pride Week was a great way to learn about and celebrate Pride and the LGBTQ+ community, empowering students who are questioning or identify on the spectrum, as well as our community of allies.