Was your school a safe and affirming place for ALL youth?

Just last week, Chely Wright, out country music artist, helped GLSEN launch a major, comprehensive campaign — the GLSEN Safe Space Kit. I urge you to read her personal letter below. And if you haven't already, send a Safe Space Kit to your local school today. This basic and simple kit, which is designed to help educators send a visible message and create a safe space for LGBT youth, can create a world of difference to a student who has no where else to turn. And in light of the recent student suicides and anti-gay sentiments currently in the media, the Safe Space Kit is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your continued support,

Every student deserves a safe space at school … … A place where they are encouraged to lead, where they are provided with the support they need to escape the bullies and their hateful words. The sad reality is that too many students are silenced and alone. And I know all too well what it’s like to feel unsafe and afraid to be yourself — or like you have nowhere to turn and no one to confide in. This is why I’ve joined GLSEN, to help ensure that no student has to experience the kind of fear I went through when I was a closeted lesbian throughout my years in high school, and long after. And that all students, no matter who they are, are part of a respectful school environment with supportive and informed educators. To help us get there, I announced with GLSEN the launch of its groundbreaking campaign to send a Safe Space Kit to every secondary school in the nation. Please join me in taking a stand — send a Safe Space Kit to the school you attended or a school you care about. The Kit includes a 42-page guide to being an ally, which gives educators tools to support LGBT youth and address anti-LGBT bullying, and a set of Safe Space Stickers and Posters to help students identify supportive educators. Each kit costs just $20 to make and deliver. And each Kit that’s delivered will help eliminate anti-gay language and harassment, and will ensure every LGBT student is able to identify at least one supportive educator. I’m sure that if I had access to compassionate allies and educators early on, my life would have been dramatically different. But while we can’t change the past, we can help shape the future — please join me in sending a Safe Space Kit to a school of your choice today. So far, we have covered all middle and high schools in the unified school districts of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and the entire state of Maine with GLSEN Safe Space Kits. But with over 100,000 middle and high schools from coast to coast, our work is far from done. Help us keep the momentum going — by supporting the Safe Space campaign, you join a national movement to make sure that every student has a visible ally and is able to learn in a respectful environment. Sincerely, Chely Wright GLSEN Supporter and Safe Space Campaign Spokesperson P.S. The need for a Safe Space in every school is real. Bullying and hate speech are too common in our schools and in the media. But I’m positive we can create safe and respectful spaces in every school. And it all starts with one simple step: sending a Safe Space Kit to your local school now. This act can change — or even save — a student’s life.

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