OUTsource

Some people might say that this organization is too small and it won’t help the LGBT people out there. That is just a false statement because the strategy of the GSA club is a very well put together process. “GSA clubs provide a safety net for students during the coming out process. With a GSA club, youth break through the isolation to find support from peers and school staff.” (gsanetwork). This program works with students and teachers to help cut down the slurs and just be careful of what they say because some of it is offensive to LGBT people. Like I said earlier, our society has cut down a lot on being prejudice against the LGBT community because there are many more of these people coming out all over the world today. Back then people were murdered, beaten, hung, or even disowned from families for coming out and saying their sexual preference because it just wasn’t “right” or “normal” in their society.
Over the many centuries, ever since humankind found out that there were people out there who did have strong feelings for the same gender, the view on LGBT people has changed and has become more accepted. One of the most memorable times in history is when Hitler went psycho and started brainwashing the Nazis into killing everybody who was not like them. One of the groups they killed a lot of were the gays/lesbians/bisexuals/transgenders because they didn’t have the same feelings as Hitler or the Nazis and they were considered “disturbing” or “weird” because of their sexuality preference. Our society has obviously come a long way from that because now we have hangout spots where LGBT students can go in high schools, colleges, and even a few middle schools. This place is called the OUTsource her at the University of Kentucky. This is where students come to just hang out and talk to their friends who are in the group also or to learn more information on the LGBT community and the GSA program. This is such a huge help at our school in Lexington, KY because it brings together a lot of students who are not necessarily educated about the GSA and teach them things like what events they have or what their mission really is.
The LGBT community has become more acceptable in today’s society because of the many programs like GSA and OUTsource we now have for people with different sexual preferences. Many children, no matter what culture, are taught that being sexually attracted to the same sex is extremely wrong for multiple reasons. The sad thing is that people don’t even have a good reason to bash the LGBT people, other than that is how they grew up in the world. But honestly people don’t even take the time to listen to LGBT students and their issues because apparently they are “gross” and “weird” for liking the same gender as themselves. “Children fear telling other people when they start to have these feelings because they think they are “different” and will be punished.” (Sharon Kopyc). This is why the GSA organization was brought about so the children feeling alone and thinking they are weird could get together and talk about how they feel and get support from a loving family who are all going through the same problems. GSA clubs are needed to prevent harassment to those who are sexually different from others. It is not morally right to judge someone on their sexual preferences whether they are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
For one of my field observations, I went into the OUTsource room just to talk to some of the people in there to learn more about the program and what exactly they do. The guy at the desk who was working told us to come on in and have a seat. He was extremely friendly and was very easy to talk to so my nerves went away right when I walked in. The very first things I saw when I was in there were many advertisements of the LGBT community and the GSA. The rainbow flag was hanging up in the room, which symbolizes the LGBT community. I noticed it was a very laid-back atmosphere where students could come and just hangout or talk to someone if they really needed help or had questions. The guy at the desk basically told me people come here for resource information on the LGBT community or GSA. They have free CD’s of random music you could take home or even a calendar full of events when the GSA is going to be performing a play or standing outside talking and things like that. They had a mini refrigerator where you could get a soft drink and even a couch and table to make it feel more comfortable and relaxed in there.
For one of my field observations, I went into the OUTsource room just to talk to some of the people in there to learn more about the program and what exactly they do. The guy at the desk who was working told us to come on in and have a seat. He was extremely friendly and was very easy to talk to so my nerves went away right when I walked in. The very first things I saw when I was in there were many advertisements of the LGBT community and the GSA. The rainbow flag was hanging up in the room, which symbolizes the LGBT community. I noticed it was a very laid-back atmosphere where students could come and just hangout or talk to someone if they really needed help or had questions. The guy at the desk basically told me people come here for resource information on the LGBT community or GSA. They have free CD’s of random music you could take home or even a calendar full of events when the GSA is going to be performing a play or standing outside talking and things like that. They had a mini refrigerator where you could get a soft drink and even a couch and table to make it feel more comfortable and relaxed in there.
Want more information about OUTsource at University of Kentucky? Visit their Facebook page