Gay Straight Alliance is kick-starting a new campaign for DHS called “Be Nice”. The campaign is aimed to encourage students to unite and interact with more compassion.
“With the Be Nice campaign, we are trying to simplify and better communicate our mission to the school: regardless of one’s stance on this polemic, we just want them to be nice to their peers,” senior Connor Reed said. “One should never have to endure hatred or scornful treatment from anyone because of their identity.”
Reed is one of the student leaders of GSA along with senior Logan Cook. Cook believes that people can often be callous with their language without realizing it.
“Saying that an action is something ‘really gay’ is sending a bad message about your opinion of gays,” Cook said. “That kind of speech demeans people by using their sexual preference as an insult.”
GSA’s main objective is to help students recognize different sexual identities and gender identifications in a positive and accepting manner.
“Insulting someone for their differences is not the way to handle them,” Cook said. “Especially over something as personal and beautiful as how they love, or who they are.”
By Maddie Davis
