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Ben Bonnici, was only in year 2 when he started experiencing homophobic bullying. 鈥淭hey would push me over and tell me to fuck off and make fun of me for having a high pitched 惫辞颈肠别.鈥�

Mr Bonnici, is reflecting on what is, for a lot of LGBTQI people, a hellish time of life. The gay slurs heard in the hallways and the harsh bullying he endured only reinforced the idea that being queer is undesirable.

听“I remember coming home one night and bursting into tears and saying I don鈥檛 want to go to school anymore,鈥� he says.听

When Mr Bonnici started High School at Melbourne Grammar he anticipated he would be tormented for his sexuality.

鈥淕oing to an all boys religious school… you really are exposed to this notion you shouldn鈥檛 share your sexuality with a lot of people,鈥� he said. Although he endured homophobic slurs in year 7 and 8, in year 9 Mr Bonnici was introduced to something that would shift the course of his schooling life – a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).

听Introduced in 2016, Melbourne Grammar鈥檚 GSA now has over 40 members from years 9 to 12 and has become a safe space for LGBTQI students to explore their identities and for straight students to learn how to be a better ally.

Initially reluctant to join at first, Mr Bonnici pushed through his fears of judgement and attended his first meeting in year 9.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting you would think a kid that wanted to hide that part of themselves would stay away… (but) I felt like I had to go to those meetings and be a part of the committee.

鈥淚t was one of the only places I could let my hair down a little bit, I felt like I could 产谤别补迟丑别,鈥� he said.

Now in his final year, Mr Bonnici is a House Captain and President of the GSA two things he never thought he would achieve.

鈥淭he house captains are usually really sporty… and I expected because I鈥檓 in the LGBTQI community I would have gotten no votes,鈥� he said.听鈥淏ecause everyone still voted for me despite something I can鈥檛 really change about myself, I was really proud to be a part of Melbourne Grammar.鈥�

听Not only has the GSA benefited Mr Bonnici personally, but it has also improved the culture of the school.

鈥淪eeing kids who are really open about their sexuality at 16… and seeing them having a good core of friends around them who don鈥檛 really care if they鈥檙e gay or straight is just really wonderful,鈥� Mr Bonnici said.听鈥淢y year level has had a really good run and are a product of what it鈥檚 like to have role models in the LGBTQI community and let them share their voice with everyone.鈥�

Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, Tonya Callaghan says GSA鈥檚 are the most 鈥渙rganic way of trying to make a school a safer place for gender and sexually diverse people.

鈥淣ot only are GSA鈥檚 beneficial to the marginalised groups in a school, but have found they actually reduce overall violence in the school.鈥�

Ms Callaghan said GSA鈥檚 have become very popular in Canadian schools, especially in Alberta.

听In 2015 The Alberta Province Government听 passed a law where schools had to create a GSA if students requested one and they would have to call it a GSA if that is what the students wanted.

鈥淐atholic leaders especially bishops were very opposed to GSA, and certainly the word gay. They tried to come up with these other ridiculous options students should do instead of having GSA,鈥� Ms Callaghan said.听鈥淚n these quasi GSA clubs catholic schools wouldn鈥檛 let you talk about homophobia and transphobia because it鈥檚 too political.鈥澨�听

Ms Callaghan has personal experience with Catholic schools resistance to GSA鈥檚 having worked in them between 1994 and 2004.听

鈥淥ne of my colleagues did her best to try and provide a safe space for LGBTQI youth at the school where I was teaching,鈥� she said.听鈥淪he had a lot of trials and tribulations but she stood her ground, but guess what happened… she got fired.鈥�

听Ms Callaghan would also leave the school the same year, after a traumatic incident with a student.听

鈥淭here was a young promising drama student and… in his final semester he ended up dying of suicide after suffering several months of homophobic bullying by a pack of girls.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 his teacher, but his friends were in my homeroom and they told me he did seek counselling at the school but he got the party line which was… maybe you could just turn down the gay, that鈥檚 why you are being bullied.

鈥淭hey were basically blaming the victim so for me that was it, I couldn鈥檛 continue to work in such an overtly homophobic and transphobic place.鈥�

Leaving the school Ms Callaghan pursued further graduate studies relating to homophobia and transphobia in catholic schools.

鈥淚f a young person has to resort to taking their own life because of homophobic bullying in the school that is a pretty serious situation. That is a situation that requires a remedy,鈥� she said.

听As well as studying Ms Callaghan volunteered to help run the first , a retreat for young LGBTQI people where they would talk about several topics including how to start a GSA.

鈥淚t was such a hit. The young queers loved it and the professor at the University of Alberta sustained this in a yearly manner to get funding to keep the camp going,鈥� Ms Callaghan said.

As well as Camp fYrefly Alberta has its own GSAwhich is connected to schools in 38 different towns and cities.

Meanwhile in Australia a by Safe Schools found 80% of young LGBTQI people surveyed have experienced homophobic bullying at school.听

鈥淭he school’s response was like okay well you can form this committee… But basically they wouldn鈥檛 allow us to do anything of real substance.

鈥淲e suggested they run a program specifically about homophobia… but they would say it would be too controversial or we don鈥檛 want to compromise our neutrality.鈥�

Since the school refused to provide a safe space for LGBTQI students or teach them about gender and sexuality Mr Dartnell had to learn more about the queer community and his sexual identity after graduating in 2017.

鈥淎 massive problem for gay people is they don鈥檛 really see themselves valued听or reflected back in their school communities,鈥� Mr Dartnell said.听

鈥淭here鈥檚 a saying in the queer community queer people are set back by like three years because of High School.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just because you don鈥檛 know anyone, and you can鈥檛 speak about your experience at school.鈥�

听LGBTQ2S+ Community Engagement Coordinator at the , Hilary Mutch also knows what it is like to hide your sexuality throughout high school.

鈥淚 did have queer friends in high school but I wasnt out… because of all the homophobic and transphobic language and behaviour you feel like you have to come out later in life.鈥�

Now responsible for setting up GSA鈥檚 in schools throughout Alberta, Ms Mutch says there has been a wonderful movement over the last decade.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen some really amazing GSA鈥檚 in rural schools really create spaces for queer students to feel seen and represented.

鈥淭here is even a GSA in my old school鈥�

For Australia to achieve what Alberta has Ms Mutch suggested efforts need to be made at all levels.

鈥淚f you are working with teachers or programs or admin who want to start GSA鈥檚 (in Australia) I鈥檓 more than happy to help,鈥� she said. “[But] Because it is a hugely student run movement giving students tools for that activism is crucial and the best way to establish GSA鈥檚 in schools.鈥澨�