On Thursday, January 19th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group went to a high school assembly to see students from LREI and other schools around the city talk about their experiences with gender. There were kids who were transgender and gender non-conforming. A few kids were also gay, bisexual, and pansexual. It was amazing to learn about each kid’s experience and how no one’s is exactly the same. People talked about their families and how kids from different backgrounds have very different experiences, even if they are also very similar. Bathrooms were mentioned and how hard it can be for kids to find a bathroom that is comfortable for them. Many of the kids covered serious issues, but they seemed to like to coat their stories with humor. My group and I found that very interesting, and it left a different mood for the audience than if they had not joked around as much. The kids used this humor the most when they talked about how they came out to their families, friends, and teachers. I remember one kid mentioning how he has still not told some of his family that he is transgender, and has to keep it a secret whenever he visits them for the holidays. One kid mentioned how they are the only person in their school who is openly a part of the LGBTQ community. This is not much different from our middle school, as no one currently in the middle school is out. The entire experience was fascinating, and we all learned so much. I hope that we can have another meeting like this in the future.