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| David Joles, Star Tribune |
By RANDY FURST
For Alyssa Veil, it was a painful journey, listening to classmates' anti-gay slurs as she was coming to realize she was "different" during her freshman year at the Blake School in Minneapolis. She became depressed and thought of suicide.
But after two years in a school movement to discourage classmates from using homophobic language, Veil delivered an impassioned speech in December, telling her classmates about her newfound strength and how hateful words can lead lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender teens to kill themselves.
In a triumphant turnaround, the 17-year-old senior from Eden Prairie will receive the annual national youth award of the National Conference of LGBT Equality Sunday at the Minneapolis Hilton. It's a gathering of more than 2,500 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists, the largest such conference in the United States.
"We are so proud of her," said Cathy McLane, Blake's communications director. Veil will lead a workshop later this year entitled "Support and advocacy for GLBT students" at the Minnesota Independent Schools Association Conference.
"She really has taken on herself not just improving the climate at her own school, but carrying it to other educators and students," said Sue Hyde, director of the national LGBT conference at the Hilton.
Veil, who will attend Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., has a 3.8 grade average. Her award comes at a time of growing awareness about GLBT teen suicides.
"Think of being in the shoes of the gay kid, that general tone of hostility, that derision of who you are," said Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, who is gay. "That climate of hostility and intolerance ... erodes your self-esteem."
Growing up, Veil heard comments like "that's so gay" where "gay" means "bad" and slurs like "fag" and "faggot." She began to think she was a lesbian, she said, and since laws prohibit same-sex marriage, she believed it must be wrong. Her depression deepened and she considered suicide. She went to see a school counselor.
As a sophomore, Veil joined the school's Gay Straight Alliance, a student group. J.J. Kahle, a teacher who advises the group, said the campaign encouraged students to eschew slurs and to object when slurs are used.
Veil, who is also a member of a new student group, the Justice League, said it's now rare for classmates to make anti-gay remarks. "Right now, it's not cool to be homophobic at Blake," she said.
In her senior speech in December, Veil urged her classmates to "accept GLBT people as part of our community and part of our society. ... You may not realize it, but when you smile in acceptance towards a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender human, you might have just saved their life." She received a spontaneous standing ovation.
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