The Tam High Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) is hoping to increase their community involvement with an anti-bullying awareness video. The GSA has asked for students to write about and share their bullying experiences by submitting them in an anonymous envelope hung outside classroom 157 in Wood Hall.

“Marin is a very liberal county, and Tam is [a liberal community] as well, so a lot of people just assume that this means that bullying isn’t a problem, but this isn’t entirely true,” Senior Tassia Huq, vice president of the GSA said. “Last year a girl came to a club meeting […] who had been at Tam but had to leave because people were bullying her in the locker rooms during P.E.”

Senior and GSA member Carley DeRosa expressed a lack of experience with these topics. “I personally don’t see anti-gay bullying at Tam,” she said, “but for all I know it could be happening and I’m just not aware.”

Indirect bullying is something the GSA hopes to address in their video as well. “I think some people may not even realize that some of their actions are very negative towards the LGBTQ [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning] community,” Huq said. “If a student who was contemplating coming out heard the people in the library saying ‘that’s so gay,’ it is very possible they would decide not to [come out], because suddenly they are in an environment where their sexuality is being used in negative ways.”

Students who can provide the GSA with personal, anonymous accounts of their experiences with LGBTQ bullying are encouraged to do so. The homepage of the Tam website has recently instructed students who are aware of harassment to call the anonymous tip line at (415) 380-3507.