Campus Welcomes LGBTQ Support Group

By Dylan Gallagher ’19

Immaculate Heart High School’s latest effort to support students took a visible step last fall when the LGBTQ group participated in Join Day as a way to promote greater campus awareness about its presence.

For more than a year, members of the LGBTQ support group have been meeting regularly with moderators, including theology teacher Maria Pollia, science instructor Lisa Hellinger and counselor Alessandra Molina. A more formal meeting schedule was organized this year with the help of senior Ella Brown and other student board members.

By design, the LGBTQ support group provides a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students, as well as LBGTQ allies, to come together and discuss a variety of topics.

Efforts to form such a support group have been years in the making, but Immaculate Heart Principal Naemah Morris acknowledged the time was right to do so.

“It was clear that there was a need for a place for students to talk about these issues and feel safe doing so,” she said, adding, “Immaculate Heart continually strives to provide a supportive environment on campus for all of its students.”

The group would also not be possible without the tireless planning and support from its moderators, Morris noted.

In a Bamboo interview with the moderators, all said they welcomed the opportunity to help support the group. “The group absolutely helps students,” Molina said. “It provides students with a safe place where they can be themselves.”

photo from Senior Resource Center