Aptos Junior High Students Prove Straight Allies Are Fierce Fighters

When I was a tween, I was really into Alanis Morissette. Like, really into. I did an impression and everything. Other things I liked include hair mascara, the Spice Girls, Titanic and pogs, the most useless toys in the world. Today's young kids, however, they are into far more substantial things. Take the students of Aptos Junior High in California, for example.
Members of the Aptos Junior High Gay Straight Alliance are finding meaning in the wristband trend and using the opportunity to take a stand against gay bullying. The group has begun selling rainbow-colored rubber wristbands with the slogan "Stop bullying -- I am an ally" written on them. Seriously, where were these students when I was listening to the Spice Girls with that hair mascara on my head?
"We want to raise awareness about bullying to show everybody that no matter their background, they're equal," says Kate Garrett, a 13-year-old member of the GSA. "I know a few kids at this school who are gay and are embarrassed because they're afraid of being bullied."

The wristbands cost only one dollar and the proceeds go directly toward The Trevor Project. The GSA members have sold nearly 250 wristbands at their own school and have now begun getting requests from others in the area, including Harbor, Pajaro Valley and San Lorenzo Valley high schools. And what is unique about this effort is that they come with a mandatory anti-bullying pledge that buyers must sign before being able to complete their purchase.
"For me as a principal, it's my goal to keep every kid safe," says Brian Saxton, Aptos' principal. "We've tried to develop a culture here that helps kids be more willing to talk about it. The biggest problem with bullying is that kids don't want to say anything."
Thinking back on my own life, I know that I hardly ever reported incidences of bullying. And there were many. I was embarrassed and felt like I had done something wrong to deserve it. There was always the fear that drawing attention to the anti-gay bullies would make even more people think I was gay -- something that, at the time, felt like the worst thing in the world. It is amazing that we now have twelve and thirteen-year-old straight kids willing to stick up for their gay friends. Allies are some of our fiercest fighters.
Photo Credit: Aptos Junior High

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