From the Washington Blade

Pikesville, Md., High School Students Hold Gay Rights Rally

Action prompted by church's anti-gay protest at school

By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

October 21, 2005

Pikesville High School students gathered outside their school Thursday afternoon in the drizzling rain to show support for gay rights after a church protested their school's Coming Out week events on Monday.

Earlier in the week, members of a church outside Pikesville, Md., blasted through a bullhorn their beliefs that homosexuality is a sin, according to students who witnessed the protest.

Pikesville's Gay-Straight Student Alliance had organized events at school that week to encourage gay students to come out and straight students to support them. Rachel Blank, who helped organize Thursday's protest with fellow student, Reed Shusterman, founded the GSA last spring.

"I was told I'm going to hell and that Jesus could save me," said Jacob Friedman, who attended Thursday's rally. "But I'm Jewish."

For Alex Levine, a senior, the anti-gay comments were hurtful and personal.

"I broke down in tears," said Alex Levine, who wore a t-shirt with "Proud to Be Me" written on it. "It's not my choice. It's who I am."

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students were asked to wear rainbows on Thursday; straight supporters were told to wear pink. At the rally, most students wore pink - some from head to toe.

"Seeing the pink meant more to me," Levine said.

Many of the people who attended the rally commented at how many students openly support gay rights.

"My gaydar is pretty good," said Anne Bugnaski, a senior at Carver high school. "Most of these students are not gay. It's amazing."

School teachers, parents, alumni and students - some from Pikesville and others from neighboring schools - held signs to passing cars, squealing and clapping whenever drivers honked in support. The larger the vehicle, the louder the students cheered - a Coca Cola truck and school bus may have elicited the most excited reactions.

"I've never been so proud to be an alum," said Jodie Zisow, who graduated in 1994. She came out when she was about 22-years old. When she was at Pikesville only one student was openly gay. He was beat up all the time, she said.

"It's pretty amazing to see so many straight allies," she said.

The rally was more celebration than protest - complete with a few students passing around frosted donuts and showing off elaborate home-made signs with the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin"written out.

"I'm a government teacher. I like to see students exercising their rights," said Pikesville teacher Gretchen Brinn, who wore a pink striped shirt. "The protest [on Monday] was good in a way because it lit a fire under their butts. I was teaching the Bill of Rights that day so I couldn't have asked for a better teachable moment."

A student standing close-by, interrupted and cheered, "Yea, first amendment!"