BY SABRINE BRISMEUR
Marked by purple Mardi Gras beads, colorful slips of positive affirmations, and a kindness photobooth, Cooper City High School kicked off its first-ever Coming Out Week thanks to efforts by the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), or LGBT+ club.
“Coming Out Week looked to bring about a change to the student body by promoting kindness and acceptance, as well as celebrating our individuality,” GSA Project Chair Dawson Worley said.
Despite National Coming Out Day having been in mid-October, the CCHS GSA opted to personalize their version and extend it from one day to four, starting on Tuesday. This was in part due to Hurricane Matthew, which closed schools for two days in October and pushed back original plans.
The week began with a call to wear purple shirts or accessories in support, to which the students of CCHS responded. Members of GSA also handed out positive affirmations at A and B lunch and promoted their Coming Out meeting in the afternoon, encouraging straight and LGBT students alike to join the cause for acceptance and kindness.
“Receiving a positive affirmation slip at lunch was really day changing,” Junior Isabella Tocci said. “In the middle of the day when all I wanted to do was go home and take a nap, the small slip really changed my outlook and gave me some motivation and a happy attitude. I think the idea that spreading happiness and love around Cooper is something that should be embraced, not only during Coming Out Week, but year round.”
At the end of the day, GSA held a meeting at the College and Career Room, where students shared their coming out stories and how they felt about the CCHS environment as a safe space for members of the LGBT community.
“It was a necessary event to show support for those in the LGBT community, especially those who have been targeted or are afraid to come out,” GSA Co-President Caroline Anderson said.
Worley added that the meeting had an amazing time coming together as a community of LGBT+ youth and their allies.
“We saw a lot of new faces that we hope to see again, and we strongly encourage everyone to come out to our weekly meetings every Tuesday in guidance,” he said.
GSA also welcomed English teacher Melissa Cabrera as their new sponsor at the meeting, as former sponsor Carol Lopez, the 2018 Guidance Counselor, steps down from her roles at Cooper City High.
Wednesday through Friday, GSA promoted their “Kindness Photobooth,” where purple bead-adorned students could have their photos taken in front of a Kindness Tree in the cafeteria along with “I AM…” white boards.
“For being our first Coming Out Week as the LGBT+ club, we found it a huge success,” said Worley. “When we passed out positive affirmations and encouraged them to pay it forward, people actually loved the idea and started taking more just to give them to other people, which really just emphasized the idea behind this project in the first place. Love yourself and love others.”
