Communications High School (CHS) is bringing a new flare of LGBTQ+ acceptance with the Queer Alliance’s (QA) first ever pride week. The week-long event strives to celebrate Pride Month by sharing merchandise such as bracelets, flags, pins, daily historical shout-outs and other events.
The Queer Alliance unites LGBTQ+ and allied youth to a space where they can build a community to be their authentic self. Council members of the QA hope that Pride Week will help build community among all LGBTQ+ students and allies regardless of whether or not they are in the club, although this may be daunting to some students. Sophomore Tod Vitalis of Wall Township had fears about his own participation with the event.
“It’s cool, but I probably won’t take part in it,” Vitalis said. “I love pride and who I am, but I’m not going full-blown, colors blazing.”
The QA is an unofficial club, but is the first to receive funding from the PSFA with the support of CHS Principal Emily Bonilla. Lack of funding has been a long-time concern among many unofficial clubs, but this may provide a new solution to clubs that cannot function without it.
Club fundraising has its challenges, especially when clubs are no longer able to gain official status due to the sheer amount of officially funded clubs. Bonilla chose not to comment until “it was made official.”
The QA plans to allocate these funds to support the LGBTQ+ community at CHS and the greater Monmouth County area with more fundraisers and creator booths.
This idea has been a long time coming, and QA President Senior Molly Deming of Red Bank sheds light on their journey with it.
“The council last year had begun conceptualizing a pride event last year but failed to follow through, so this year the current council began organizing and finalizing ideas,” Deming said. “I think being an unofficial club definitely hurt because Gleason wouldn’t take our budgeting and spending ideas seriously since we didn’t have any ‘real’ money to pull from.”
Next year’s QA President Junior Katrina Migliore of Red Bank thinks optimistically about the QA and its future.
“Safe spaces are crucial in modern times, and queer teenagers especially seek supportive environments when figuring themselves out.” Migliore said. “Next year I really long to expand the reach of the club. I want Queer Alliance to really feel like it’s a community being formed.”
