Nov 22, 2007Quickie Link: Project Targets Anti-Gay Violence and Homophobia
By vanrozenheim
(USA) - To counter that knots-in-your-stomach feeling and to give more students a better sense of community, David Leimsieder started the Imagine Project during his senior year. Formerly called the Association of Allied Gay-Straight Alliances, it helps students around the state set up Gay-straight organizations at their schools. Its goals are to fight homophobia and anti-Gay violence while empowering students to continue in school. "We wanted to create a base for students to create their own support system," said Leimsieder, the nonprofit's volunteer director. "It was important for them to know they don't have to be alone." Leimsieder, who came out to his parents when he was 15, said the Gay-straight alliance group at Catalina helped him feel stronger and more confident.
