El Cuarto Año’s Gay Straight Alliance was created last year under the sponsorship of Social Studies teacher Brittany Shick to address the wishes of LGBT students at the school. These young men and women experienced a range of comfort levels at ECA and wanted a structure they could both feel safe in and continue to sound off and explore issues related to their sexual and/or gender preferences. Over the course of the year it emerged as one of the strongest clubs at the school and did a lot to heighten LGBT awareness, creating a more enlightened environment all around.

This school year the club has been even more focused and energized. A core of students from last year remains, including William Perez, who actually graduated last year but returns to the Tuesday and Thursday after school meetings to help out and facilitate. Valentin Torres is another founding member who is back, and who points out that about 60% of their current roster started with the club last year.

There are a wide variety of after school offerings at ECA this year, ranging from audio recording to physical fitness, and the GSA exists alongside these. There’s also an outside instructor working with the GSA kids to write and direct a PSA video involving several LGBT issues, which they’ll submit as their final project (ECA requires each of their students to complete an ambitious project like this every year).

Activities the GSA has been involved with this year include a field trip to the Chicago Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, where they saw the documentaries Fighting For I Do and Fit, as well as hosting a regular movie night which features both political and popular films. Their next movie night is January 20th, when they’ll screen Inception.

In November, the Gay Straight Alliance took their outreach to another level and met with a group of similarly minded students from Albizu Campos, sponsored by Vice-Principal Danette Sokacich, over dinner at La Bruqueña restaurant on Division Street. Close to 25 students participated, including William and Valentin, Douglas Morrow, Marilyn Rivera, Sherly Salcedo and Veronica Torres. They discussed possible future collaborations, reviewed the ECA GSA’s process and organization and chowed down on delicious comida criolla. The two campuses are mere blocks apart in Humboldt Park, and both teams were excited about finding ways to bridge and work together.