Events
Since its founding in 2008, MSSC has taken steps to make schools safer for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. The coaltion’s work is made possible through a grant from the Liberty Hill Foundation’s Queer Youth Fund, making MSSC the first Mississippi LGBT youth advocacy group to receive foundation funding. Below are some of the highlights of MSSC’s recent work.
The Stories Project
The voices of queer youth are often silenced by unsafe situations. MSSC is working to make these voices heard through The Stories Project. Funded by the University of Michigan School of Social Work and the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, MSSC collects stories in all media formats from LGBT youth and allies. The stories are used in advocacy work to help policy makers relate to youth experiences. To submit your story, contact Anna C. at anna@mssafeschools.org.
Second Chance Prom & Prom Watch
Students do not surrender all of their rights while they are at school. When a Jackson public high school prohibited students from bringing a same sex date to prom in 2008, MSSC successfully intervened at the school to change the policy. This case inspired a project called PromWatch, which encourages students to report discriminatory practices in prom season.
MSSC Queer Youth & Ally Summit
MSSC works to give young people skills to take back to their communities. 2010 marked the third annual MSSC Queer Youth and Allies Summit with nearly triple the attendance from MSSC’s founding conference in 2008. An estimated 150 LGBT youth and allies left better prepared to fight discrimination in their schools.
Out-of-State training for members
Additionally, the coalition has had members represented at safe schools trainings around the country including the National Youth Policy Leaders Institute in Ann Arbor, MI (2009); the GLSEN Student of Color Organizing Conference in Atlanta, GA (2009); the GSA Network’s National Gathering in Austin, TX (2009) and Washington, D.C (2011); the GLSEN Safe Schools Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC (2011); and the Federal LGBT Youth Summit (2011). MSSC is also a proud member of the National Safe Schools Roundtable.
