Via (WSET) ABC – Lynchburg, VA – E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg was the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the “It Gets Better Project” to support the LGBTQ+ community on the school campus.The “It Gets Better Project” is a national non-profit organization that encourages and supports LGBTQ+ communities across the country. This year, they awarded at least one school in every state, and some in Canada, up to $10,000, as part of an initiative to fund projects that support and uplift LGBTQ+ identity in schools.
E.C. Glass applied for the grant.
“They felt in the application that their school wasn’t necessarily being sensitive to the needs, particularly of LGBTQ+ students,” said Justin Tindall, senior director of programs and operations with the “It Gets Better Project.”
Tindall said E.C. Glass’ application for this grant caught their eye because it not only focused on the school environment but also the LGBTQ+ community in Lynchburg.
“There can be a lot of support because it is a college town. But there’s also a very strong conservative kind of push to, not hurt LGBTQ+ communities, but certainly keep them from being too vocal, too visible,” Tindall said.
Tindall explained the high school’s plans to create a Gender and Sexuality Alliance club, along with a safe space for LGBTQ+ students.However, the plan is getting backlash from some groups, like the national grassroots organization Parents Defending Education.
“Unfortunately, what we’re seeing is this money and these types of projects go towards politicized purposes. Often, these grants, as we’ve seen, go towards promoting very divisive ideology on sex and gender in K-12 schools. You can call it, again, these support groups all you want, but when it’s adults pushing political agendas on kids in school, that is political. This is not about supporting children.” said Alex Nester with Parents Defending Education.
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