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Schools

Brighton Patch Whiz Kid: Lauren McGarry

Meet Lauren McGarry, a BHS senior who cares.

Lauren McGarry, 17

School: Brighton High School

Accomplishment: Lauren is president of Brighton High School’s Gay Straight Alliance, a group she helped found last year. She is also a regular attendee at PFLAG (Parents, Friends, and Family of Lesbians and Gays) meetings and at Riot Youth, a teen LGBT advocacy group in Ann Arbor.

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Key to Awesomeness: “I care,” Lauren says. “I am working to change people’s attitudes towards LGBTQ people now. I’m graduating this year and my goal is to leave behind a safer environment for the kids who come after me. Often times I feel there is a general silence surrounding LGBTQ people and their allies in this community. With my experiences and my friends’ experiences in mind I gladly take on the responsibility of being the President of Brighton High School's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).

“GSA does a variety of activities. We’ve held movie nights and bake sales and are currently planning for Day of Silence, which is an awareness day where people stay silent for an entire day to reflect the silence that LGBTQ face on a daily basis. None of this is possible without the support of Amanda Brown, Teacher Sponsor, Joellyn Plasterer, Vice President, and the rest of the GSA.”

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