The GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) held a “Q & Gay” session during X-block on the Day of Dialogue in the MLK room. A panel of high school students answered questions from the audience about personal experiences and preferences.

The panel answered many questions such as what should be done about middle school homophobia. Many believed it could be diminished by increasing the quality of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) topics in middle school health classes.

The Driscoll school’s GTSA (Gay, Transgender and Straight Alliance) club came to the high school to see the Day of Dialogue. Started by 7th grader Dín Klein, the club is the first middle school GTSA club in Brookline.

Freshman Cait Donahue said that the high school’s bullying survey that is distributed to students in the beginning of the year ignores the struggles the queer community goes through. She said that it was obvious that the questions were more about stereotypical bullying situations than about the hard subjects such as bullying based on sexuality or gender.

One student asked a question about why there are not many racial minorities represented during the Day of Dialogue or in GSA. Junior Grey Fahrner said they are aware that a lot of people are uncomfortable, for either not wanting to be found out or not wanting to be associated with the LGBTQ community, and that that may be a reason why.

Senior Michelle Rios, who is Latina, said she believes that in many minority cultures, “being queer is a white person thing, not spoken about at home.”

Freshman Basya Klein answered a question about what to do when cisgender people feel uncomfortable being asked their pronouns.

“It’s a choice between making straight people feel uncomfortable and an entire group of people feel wrong and invalidated,” Klein said.

Fahrner said that when a student or teacher makes a mistake with their pronouns, they prefer when the person corrects themselves, moves on and does not make a big deal about it. They believe that it is important for people to continue correcting themselves when they use the wrong pronouns.

The panel agreed that a mix between saying pronouns out loud and writing them for the teacher is the best way for people to feel safe using their prefered pronouns. Some students said that they would feel uncomfortable saying their preferred pronouns out loud on their first day if they felt they wouldn’t be supported in a classroom.

Some panelists recounted how their families reacted when they came out. Freshman Nica Rossey said it was especially hard for her brother to come out as trans; their mother still uses his assigned birth name and pronouns around relatives.

The last questions, asked by a middle schooler, was about the panelists’ experience of fluidity and how they change what they label themselves as.

Donahue said that people have to accept that going through the process of coming out is hard, and that their gender identity might change. Freshman Kaelan Woodward believes good people will respect that others are still figuring things out.

A slam poetry performance took place in the MLK room during E-block, with poets performing poems regarding sexuality.

Five poets performed, including two from Lowell, MA and three from the high school.

Senior Jaime Serrato Marks performed first, with his poem “The Love Song of Jaime Serrato Marks,” a reference to the T. S. Eliot poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. The poem included a reference to the refrain of Eliot’s poem and was about Serrato Marks coming to find his pansexual identity. The most powerful line of Serrato Marks’ poem was “self-hatred knows my name,” one of many lines during the block to elicit snaps from the audience.

Next, senior Lea Churchill performed “Lesbian Buzzkill,” which she said was the first slam poem she ever wrote. The poem was written as a message for people to stop fetishizing the fact that Churchill is lesbian. Her poem was primarily in free verse, but a notable exception was “I have not told anyone about the growing thing in me / about being the thing that you’re not supposed to be.”

After Churchill, Sarah Masse from Lowell performed. Her poem was about how she would treat a daughter if she were lesbian.

Masse was followed by Kristie Stead, also from Lowell. Stead’s poem dealt with the suicide of an 11-year-old gay boy from Springfield, MA who killed himself after being bullied regarding his sexuality. The poem was about the boy’s ascent to Heaven and his encounter with God.

The final poet to perform was senior Hannah Timmermann, who read her poem “Grace” about coming to terms with being pansexual during high school. Timmermann concluded her poem with “the biggest word I can spell is love. Love.” This resulted in a loud cheer from the audience, not just for Timmermann’s poem, but for all of the poets who performed.

The performances were followed by a Q&A with the poets.

While many lines from the performances stood out, one quote from Churchill’s “Lesbian Buzzkill” summarized the meaningfulness of the entire day:

“I am brave, I am powerful and I will never surrender.”

The F-block “Telling our Stories” assembly featured eight speakers recounting their experiences of being part of the LGBTQ community in front a packed Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium.

The first speaker was senior Lily Schwartz who spoke about being lesbian and dating her best friend. She spoke of the loneliness and stifling atmosphere she felt regarding her sexuality, both from watching heteronormative television shows and while living in Ridgefield, Conn. Schwartz said her struggle with sexuality was an uphill battle, but she has reached the peak and “the view is beautiful.”

After Schwartz, senior Rosie Jacobs recounted to the auditorium the lessons she had learned about being a member in the queer community through three stories. Each of these stories dealt with Jacobs encountering social situations, some painful, some simply awkward, but all eye-opening, and what Jacobs has learned through these encounters.

Junior Grey Fahrner spoke next about their struggle of finding themselves. Fahrner, who was assigned as female at birth, spoke of coming to understand their identity, and the struggle they went through to be who they are.

Juniors and twins Maya Seicol and Isabel Seicol then spoke together about of the difference between how other people see you and how you understand yourself. Maya Seicol and Isabel Seicol, who alternated lines in a speech, told the audience to pursue finding themselves rather than be boxed in by the perceptions and preconceptions of others.

After the Seicol sisters, senior Amanda Nybakken spoke about being pansexual, and how few people know what being pansexual is. Nybakken answered questions about pansexuality that she said people often ask her.

Junior Sara Hogenboom spoke about being bisexual in the form of a letter to her past self. Hogenboom mentioned the fact she has come out to many people and coming out is a recurring process, and how it has brought her into activism and advocacy.

The final speaker was senior Ethan Kahn who talked about how being gay affects his day-to-day life. Kahn spoke about wanting to find a place to respect all people. He was first awakened to LGBTQ issues by insensitive comments during the 2012 election. Kahn said being gay is an important part of his identity now, and will remain so into the future.