“I always knew I was different than everyone else,” said Stillwater Area High School graduate Ben Frederick (’13). Ben is different because Ben is gay. Gay and proud. The LGBT community in Stillwater is bigger than one would expect. They’re proud of who they are and opened up to tell their stories along with their conflicts.

GSA stands for Gay Straight Alliance, a very important group at SAHS.

“GSA is a group that is trying to get others to understand people who are part of LGBT in a fun and sociable way,” says junior Stephanie Swarthout, a leader of the club.

The club met for the first time this year Sept 19. Last year, about 10 to 15 people took part in the meetings, though anybody is welcome.

“We [GSA club] are always welcoming everyone who wants to join,” Swarthout says.

 The people who take part in this club all have a lot in common.

“I have gone through the same thing they have. I was bullied in all of elementary school and part of junior high so I know how they feel. I know what it is like to go through that but you have to surround yourself with the right people who accept you for who you are and that is what we are- the right people,” Swarthout explained.

The club itself, of course, is not the primary focus. There are plenty of LGBT members who choose other support groups.

Junior Emily Peck shared her thoughts, “The only thing I can think of is how important it is to have a support group. Friends, family, girlfriend, anyone. Just having amazing friends and a great girlfriend really helps me power through it.”

Ben Frederick came out to the world through facebook. He did not want to deal with all the gossip in the hallways of school or anything that comes with gradually giving out such news. Ben never joined a group like GSA, but still managed to keep his head up.

“In the gay community, everyone is kind of connected. You always get introduced to new people,” Frederick said.

He wishes he would have joined a GSA group in high school because he wasn’t comfortable with himself like he is now. He’s at University of Wisconsin-Stout now and has joined support groups there.

“I think it’s important for people not to be so closed minded about the LGBT community and actually join GSA or any other club dealing with LGBT related subjects. It’s important for me to hear what others have to say in my community and hear other experiences that people have gone through. A lot of people don’t understand what we have to go through,” explains Frederick, “I think sometimes people in our culture forget to put themselves in other’s shoes and imagine what they have to go through.”