My name is Joseph Collier and I am a transgender student at Portland High School. I have seen and experienced bullying several times at school due to my identity. This petition is to voice my concerns for LGBT youth in schools, suggest stricter rules for bullying and harassment in schools, and most importantly start another club for LGBT students and allies at Portland High School. 

Last year when I was in the cafeteria at my school I was stopped by three students I did not know. One boy at the table asked me “Hey, what are you?” in which I tried to respectfully answer his question. He and his friends proceeded to laugh at me, so I realized that I was singled out to be made fun of because of my identity and appearance. After that incident, I was contacted on social media by these students in response to me posting about how they were making fun of me. They cursed me out over text, then had more of their friends continue to make fun of me at school those following weeks. They would call me slurs, stare and laugh at me, and threaten to fight me at school. 

I did not go to administration because I knew that nothing would be done. In the past when I was being bullied or harassed by students and did try to go to a teacher or anyone at school about it, I was ignored. I was told to ignore them and it would be fine. I have not seen any reasonable punishment for bullying take place in all my years of attending public school in Portland. 

Not only do I want more strict rules against bullying to be enforced at PHS, but I would also like to attempt to bring back a club for LGBT students and allies. In 2016 there was a club called “Born this Way” which was created by a gay student at PHS. Multiple teachers supported the club and Mr. Woods, the principal of PHS, was aware of the club and did not have an issue with it. “Born this Way” was a club for LGBT students who were being bullied or targeted to feel more comfortable. It was also a place for students to meet other people like them and realize that they are not alone. They met after school in the Art room and were able to freely talk about LGBT topics without the fear of being judged by homophobic students. 

This could be beneficial not only for the mental well-being of PHS students, but it may also improve attendance rates and grades in school. If students do not feel comfortable going to school because they are scared of being targeted or bullied just because they walk past a homophobic student in the cafeteria, that is an issue. 

Administration told us to speak up about bullying and harassment in our school and this is what I am doing. If Mr. Woods or any other member of administration genuinely cares about the safety and well-being of students, this will not be ignored. This is not a political issue. This is not a religious debate. This is not me attempting to push any “ideologies” into the school system. I am trying to help future students like me not have the same experience I did at Portland High School by creating a club to help represent LGBT students and allies.