Carly Baker is a quiet, articulate, enthusiastic young woman who is passionate about many things. She loves music and theater; she gets good grades and she has a diverse group of friends. As a freshman at Apalachee High School (AHS), she is active in Drama Class and school theater productions. She recently played Rizzo in “Grease” and AHS Principal David McGee described her performance as “amazing.”
Baker has also been singing in school choruses since elementary school and has taken private voice lessons since the fifth grade. Last spring, as an 8th grader, she auditioned and was chosen to be a member of the AHS Advanced Mixed Chorus, an honor only two other freshmen share.
She is also openly and actively concerned about how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students are treated at her school. It is a cause she intends to do something about.
“I don’t want to start this movement because I think we’re backward,” Baker said. “I want to start it because I think we’re ready for it… This is about rights and awareness – not anger or vengeance.”
Baker’s desire to start a Gay-Stright Alliance at Apalachee springs from being painfully aware of the malicious treatment LGBT kids or kids labeled as gay are subjected to. Her goal is to create a club where, like in other AHS club, kids feel included and accepted in a safe and constructive way – “a place of greater understanding and of fellowship…a place where we can be who we really are."
“I do think if these students had a safe place away from the people who are so blatantly rude and vicious, it really could be a life saver,” Baker said.
For the full story, see the April 20 issue of the Barrow Journal.
