Temporary tattoos cast rainbows along bare arms, flags were meticulously constructed from laminated colored paper, and passionate karaoke covers of “Summertime Sadness” suffused the 22 Tappan cafeteria as the Day of Dialogue came to an end with the Pride Festival on Wednesday, April 3 after school.
The event comprised a bake sale and several tables featuring arts and crafts and games that had an LGBTQ+ theme, like an iteration of “Guess Who?” with queer historical figures. The activities were accompanied by a musical performance from alum Kade Thibodeau, known professionally as Velvet Dreaming.
Among those helping to run the bake sale was senior and Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) co-president Ezra Weintroub. They said when developing the event’s activities, the GSA sought to add a unique spin to classic games.
“Most of these games were developed over the years,” Weintroub said. “We looked at which games people were already familiar with so that they wouldn’t have to learn something completely new. Then, we tried to make those more educational, to be focused on the queer community and queer icons.”
Senior Clara Idlebrook managed “Queer Family Feud,” a game with questions like “What is the queerest place in the United States” and “Who is the most famous queer icon today?” The planning for the game dated to March of 2023, when social studies teacher Kate Leslie sent a survey gauging students’ opinions on the above questions, among others. According to Idlebrook, the intent was not only to engage but also to inform.
“I think this is important because it allows people to see themselves and have fun with queer identities. Also, they learn things,” Idlebrook said. “With this game, people have asked so many questions and learned so much about the queer community.”
Over the past year, the United States has seen a growing amount of violence perpetrated against LGBTQ+ students. Kate Leslie, the former faculty advisor to the GSA, said these trends necessitate a celebration like the Pride Festival.
“It’s so important for queer students to feel like they have a community at their school and that they have the support of staff and fellow students,” Leslie said. “The Day of Dialogue is always both hard and wonderful; people share hard stories, but then come together and have a moment of release.”
For Weintroub, because a similar event doesn’t often exist elsewhere, celebrating with other queer students and allies brings about one emotion: gratitude.
“We’re very lucky to be at a high school where we’re able to organize full days and festivals around the LGBTQ+ community,” Weintroub said. “There are many places where this isn’t something that people are able to do, so I’m glad that the administration is respectful enough of identities to allow us to create this and that students are respectful enough to participate. It’s just a really nice thing to see.”
