Support our Brave Spectrum Students

Friends, family, and allies, this post is triggering, so be prepared if you’re someone that loves our sweet Ava even a portion of how we do. Today, she walked with her school’s Spectrum group. It’s a student led, LGBTQ+ group that coordinates regular meetings, offers support to peers, and generally is just a great group of kids.

They walked in the Linn-Mar Community Schools parade today. Ava brought 500 (!!) bouncy balls to pass out. Fifteen brave kids did their makeup, they built each other up, and they bravely walked together.

You all, this community let us down. Not only did these CHILDREN hear slurs as they walked, one person threw an open box cutter (see photo) that nearly hit Ava, our sweet, carries bugs outside to save them, Ava. One small CHILD walked up to Ava and said, “Get your queer a$$ out of here.” Another said, “My pronouns are U*S*A.” Another yelled, “I’m a homophobe!”

How DARE anyone teach or even think this hate can be spewed. My 15 year old just experienced what, frankly, is a hate crime. She just wanted to support her friends and family in the community. She is destroyed.

If you saw this, if you have photos around where you stood by Novak on the North side, can you send us the pics? It was a young teenage Caucasian and a Middle Ages Caucasian man.

I’ve made this post public, and I know that it will bring out the like-minded people to the ones that felt the need, as my son said, “To act like the Nazi’s did.” Do better. People that are different than you deserve to feel safe. If negative comments are posted here that support homophobia, I will delete.

I’m asking for your support for this group of kids that felt hate to a level most of us will never live through in our lifetimes. This will affect them, their relationships, their TRUST and feelings of safety for the rest of their lives. I’m setting up a fundraiser for scholarships to give to the kids when they graduate for the kids that walked with the Linn-Mar Spectrum group, as well as to support the group itself. This is a small group of kids but they deserve to know they’re loved and safe, just like your kids that were on say, the cross-country or Cub Scout float. The difference you guys is, some kids don’t make it through scenarios like this and again, how dare you use that awful power to ruin them. They are loved, and I know that they’ll be supported because it’s important that they’re here to support the next generation.