The Antelope Valley Times

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Local students create LGBTQ awareness video

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By Sarah Zakhary, a 15-year-old local high school student

Our names are Sarah Zakhary, Midori Terrill and Karina Bañuelos. We are from Lancaster and we go to SOAR [Students on the Academic Rise] High School, which is an early college high school located at Antelope Valley College.

We are currently in the ninth grade. Midori and Karina are both 14, and I [Sarah] recently turned 15.

Our English class project was to create a message about an issue in the world from the perspective of those being affected, and to try to spread that message.

We decided that those from the LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning] community face a lot of harsh judgments every day, and their perspective needs to be seen.

The class project/video took a little over a week total because we wanted to choose the best information and to find a story that would perfectly represent the issue. We chose Josh Alcorn (aka Leelah) as an example and representative of this cause.

This is an issue in the Antelope Valley because this type of bullying happens here too.

We want to live in a place where people don’t get judged based on their sexuality. That is their choice, their happiness – which is what we want viewers to take away from this video.

We would also like to add that what started off as an English project has become an actual passion to want to get this around so that others can express their happiness freely.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The AV Times.

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Filed Under: Opinion

31 comments for "Local students create LGBTQ awareness video"

  1. ISIS was throwing supposed (not even confirmed) gay people off the roofs of tall buildings just last month.

    Of course, that was obviously far less worth reporting than the fact that a PIZZERIA was talking about how they’d refuse to cater (and therefore refuse to accept money, which keeps businesses running) a gay wedding.

    Yes, there does need to be a tolerance for the homosexual community, as well as equality, but like many other of the demographics calling for equality and recognition, ya’ll regularly choose the worst stories to rally behind and generally allow as many bigots and hatemongers to the forefront of their ranks as any other group.

  2. I’m ashamed by most of these comments. The AV has not and most likely will never change. I am happy to have moved away.

  3. WE NEED HOMOSEXUALISM AND LESBIANISM TAUGHT AT OUT SCHOOLS BEGGINING IN KINDERGARDEN THAT WAY OUR KIDS CAN HAVE A CHOICE OF WHAT GENDER THEY WANT TO BE, IM DISGUSTED AT ALL YOU HOMOPHOBES COMMENTING HERE

    • IF WE CANT SAY THE PLEDGE OF THE UNTIED STATES…IN GOD WE TRUST! IN THE SCHOOLS…..THEN NO NEED TO TEACH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY, …HAVE A CHOICE OF WHAT GENDER THEY WANT…….HOW ABOUT THE GENDER GOD GAVE YOU….
      LORD THIS WORLD IS FALLING APART……

    • [removed]… Please don’t be a bully ! Please don’t be hateful! Please don’t yell. Your comment doesn’t make sense, and other peoples opinions don’t make them homophobes. Please no name calling. Go in peace.

  4. Speaking of LGBTQ issue, which Lancaster official ordered the removal of the rainbow flags at the fair?

    • The rainbow flags should have been removed. The fair isn’t about sexual orientation!

      • Apparently the Lancaster leadership agrees with you moll flanders. Wonder if it was the mayor or one of his lackeys?

        • The Antelope Valley fair is for everyone, not just for LGBTQ. Rainbow flag should not be flown at City Hall either. You could learn from the folks at City Hall in West Hollywood.

      • Hahahhaha they were general rainbow flags not LGBTQ flags! God forbid any flags showing his promise be placed in a public place hahahaha. Yeah I am being a smart alec.

  5. Bullying is usually associated with an imbalance of power. A bully has a perceived authority over another due to many different factors. The LGBTQ community isn’t being targeted any more than billions of other people! I was bullied all throughout school because I was always the new kid at school (Air Force). I was a shy, sickly, skinny girl that was bullied unmercifully. I was also an only child that didn’t have any back-up. Well, I grew up to be a strong compassionate woman, and I still observe bullying on many different levels. Of course bullying is wrong; it is cruel, hateful, and damaging, and bullying will be around always, so it is the person that is being bullied that needs to endure and become a spiritually healthy person. You will never eradicate hate, and you can’t force people to see things your way. This can’t be taught in school.

  6. If you have the need to change your gender then use another word .If you no longer consider yourself male then what are you ? You sure in the hell not a female that goes the same for
    females who choose not to be female any longer.you are not a male.Be what you want to be .Just make your own gender up and do not hijack someone else born gender.And no religion in school then no homosexuality should be taught.We need our children educated on how to get and hold a job in this awful economy. Not to be forced to be educated about ones sexual torments.Be straight or gay on your own time. Really most noise about homosexuality comes from your own community most do not care unless you try to shove it down someones throat. Homosexuality is a choice or action you act upon not an entitlement to push on others.

  7. What? I don’t know what kind of sex you have so why do you feel the need to tell me? I don’t care and if I can’t tell by talking to you I certainly wouldn’t know. Since we took God out of the classroom by all means bring homosexualism and lesbianism in…won’t our kids be better off? NO….keep your bedroom in your home to yourself.

  8. Good grief, nearly everyone gets bullied for one reason or another. I’m sure gays bully straights when there are a group of them together. Grow up for god sake; everyone quit acting like a bunch of babies.

    • The LGBTQ/asexual/pangender movement is all about bullying others into not just tolerating all these dubious *gender roles*, but into endorsing and submitting to it. All these various subsets of self-perceived gender,imo, is outright child abuse, using kids’ malleable mindsets to indoctrinate them into accepting and celebrating self-damaging behaviors and to reject their own morality.

      • How can they reject their own morality?
        What I mean is, morality is a personal judgement call made by each individual based on their own mindset. Yes it can be influenced by outside sources but outside sources can not make them reject something that is innate to their psyche.
        Just saying.

        Oh and in high school kids experiment, with everything, as they transition into adulthood. That has been happening since the dawn of time.

  9. WE NEED TO START TEACHING OUR KIDS HOMOSEXUALISM AND LESBIANISM IN OUR SCHOOLS FROM EARLY ON SO WE WILL NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

    • No,no,no we do not need to teach our children about homosexuality in our schools. Sexual preference needs to stay out of public education. The LGBT community is in the extreme minority in this country. It is a lifestyle choice. It has nothing to do with education curriculum.

      • @Lady Liberty, why is that? My children knew what gay meant at a very early age. I taught them that at the same time I taught them not to stare at people because they seem different and to say “thank you” and “please”. The earlier you teach children to understand all humanity the better they can cope, now it is as normal as anything. In our public school system we teach Health in the 9th grade and curriculum is going through great changes, I hope they integrate the understanding and respect for all human kind in addition to teaching them about personal hygiene and other basic topics. Parents are sometimes narrow-minded and if they can’t teach their students basic hygiene, how can they take the time to teach them about sexuality and sexual differences? Our youth is simply falling through the cracks because of a few narrow-minded dimwits!!!!

    • No way!! That is ridiculous to teach homosexuality in school. The only sex they should be teaching is abstinence and safe sex.

      • Yes because most of the people being taught abstinence end up pregnant.

      • @Jess “abstinence and safe sex”, you must not be around teens or pre-teens much. I needed the laugh, thanks!