By Porscha Outlaw and Jennifer Garcia  

“Don’t do that bro, that’s gay,” said Jake walking down the hallway.

“Yo, I’m not gay, don’t say that,” said his friend, Brian, in response.

In anger, their friend exclaimed, “Ay, don’t say that, gay is a sexuality, not an insult!”

Although these homophobic comments at APB are common, majority of students support the LGBTQ+ community. Students do not seem phased or share interest in the LGBTQ+ community. Freshman, Alan Avina said, “I actually don’t care about it.” He expressed that he does not mind seeing gay relationships at APB because people are allowed to be with whoever they want.

Additionally, an anonymous junior said, “Well I don’t really care. People can do what they want. I wouldn’t want anyone to judge me, so I’m not going to judge them. As long as it doesn’t affect me.” He went on to say that this also included couples in the hallways, he wouldn’t bother them because he would want the same respect.

Senior Karina Cruz mentioned that the majority of people in her friend group are gay, so she is very supportive. She said, “I mean, I’m for it, if you’re gay, lesbian, or pan-sexual. It’s your decision, go for it. It doesn’t affect me and I support it.” On the other hand, she is not a big fan of public displays of attention, regardless of who the couple is. Karina said, “I mean whether it is a gay or straight couple, it is uncomfortable for me to watch because I don’t want to see people making out in a school setting.”

Although it may appear that the majority of the students are supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, there are a few that are conflicted with the idea. For instance, an anonymous sophomore said, “It’s tough because it is not the same as a guy and a girl.” In other words, she expressed that she would not feel completely comfortable with seeing a gay couple at school, but is not necessarily against them.

However, junior Luis Andrade has a different perspective of things. As an openly gay student, he does not take micro-aggression as lightly as others. He said, “I feel very annoyed and irritated because they make it seem as being gay is a joke and a bad thing.”

Overall, even though students do make subtle comments that are considered offensive, the majority of students at APB are supportive of students who identify being part of the LGBTQ+ community.