Taking a Stand

By Michael Biesecker

August 25, 2000 Web posted at: 12:24 PM EDT (1624 GMT)

CLEMMONS, North Carolina (Winston-Salem Journal) -- As long as he can remember, Jacob Hall felt different.

''In retrospect, I've been gay my entire life,'' said Hall, 17, a senior at West Forsyth High School. ''It just takes some time to examine yourself and come to realize the truth.''

Hall's realization came about two years ago. He told a few friends, and word spread. Danielle Zynda, who had known Hall since the eighth grade, was disturbed by the reactions of some other students. ''People we had classes with treated him totally different after he came out,'' said Zynda, 16, also a senior. ''Some people called him names. I just wanted to say he's the same person he's always been.''

To combat what they perceive as a wall of ignorance and negative stereotypes at their school, Hall and Zynda are founding a chapter of the Gay/Straight Student Alliance at West Forsyth. The chapter will be the first in the city-county school system, and one of only eight in high schools statewide. Stan Elrod, the principal of Reynolds High School, has received a request from students there to start another chapter of the alliance.

''Our goal is to be visible and make people aware we're normal people just like anyone else,'' Hall said.

The Gay/Straight Student Alliance, or GSA, will not be sponsored by the school.

''We are not providing them any services,'' said Douglas Eury, the principal at West Forsyth. ''All they will get is space after school.''

Unlike most other clubs at West Forsyth, the GSA's meetings will not be announced over the school intercom and the group's meetings cannot take place during school hours. The chapter will not have a faculty adviser.

The group will meet under guidelines set up for such clubs as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

''Basically, federal open-access law says that if you open up your school to some groups, you have to open up your school to all groups,'' said Superintendent Don Martin. ''We're not really fired up in support of gays and lesbians. We're not trying to endorse this group or oppose them. We are following the law.''

Though the courts have said that a public school cannot sponsor a religious club because of the constitutional separation of church and state, there is no such legal requirement about groups that support homosexuals. Some other school systems, such as Chapel Hill/Carrboro, welcome GSA on campus.

''We should be part of the curriculum because we are a part of society,'' Hall said. ''There have always been gay people, and we aren't going anywhere.''

The school system's ''Life-Skills'' curriculum stresses abstinence until marriage and does not discuss homosexuality other than in the context of disease. If a student comes to a school counselor with questions about homosexuality, they will either be referred to a written pamphlet or to an outside support group.

''We're not supporting homosexuality in any way, shape or form, any more than we are heterosexual sex,'' Martin said of the policy. ''There is a link between homosexuality and AIDS, and students need to know that.''

Zynda said she understands why the school system may be hesitant to support GSA.

''Homosexuality is a controversial subject, and the schools don't want to upset parents,'' she said. ''But this isn't just a gay group. I'm straight, though some people assume I'm a lesbian because I'm part of this.''

The group will hold its first meeting at West Forsyth next week. Hall said he has no idea how many students might attend.

''I've gotten a lot of positive response,'' he said. ''High school is an environment where it's very hard to be different, but for me this is a natural progression. It's nothing I should hide or be ashamed of.''

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