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Sabrina Audrey Jess:
Taking Sides for LGBTQ Rights
by Cindy Kuzma, 07.22.05
"I often wonder why so many insist there is some sort of 'gay agenda,' or why others actually believe that someone would choose a life in which they are ridiculed and judged every day." |
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Sabrina Audrey Jess didn't intend to become an activist. She was just looking for a comedy for her school's one-act play festival. When she couldn't find one she liked, she sat down at 10 p.m. and by midnight had finished writing Offsides, a script about a gay football player.
Sabrina Audrey, now 18, says she never imagined the controversy that would erupt after Offsides was performed in February at her school, Stone Bridge High in Ashburn, VA. State legislator Richard H. Black, a Republican from Loudoun County, sent an e-mail to his supporters, claming that two boys kissed onstage and expressing anger that public schools were being used to "promote homosexuality." After that came some heated school board meetings, articles in newspapers and on Web sites, and new guidelines for student performances at Stone Bridge.
Through it all, Sabrina Audrey stood up for her work, speaking out for tolerance and free speech at meetings and in interviews. In March, she was honored at the Metro DC Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Gala, where she met fellow honoree Cyndi Lauper.
teenwire.com caught up with Sabrina Audrey as she was graduating from Stone Bridge. After this summer, she'll be studying drama at Virginia Commonwealth University.
teenwire.com (TW): Can you tell us a little bit about the plot of Offsides and what made it so controversial?
Sabrina Audrey Jess (SAJ): Offsides is about the star football player, everyone's hero, who comes out sort of by accident when a new kid comes into town. It shows him being ostracized by his peers and trying to cope with everything happening. I wanted to make him as real as possible. The play isn't overly dramatic and it doesn't have a happy ending because unfortunately, that's not how it always happens in real life.
The controversy about Offsides began when false information was being spread across the county. The two students never actually kissed; it was implied as the lights went out and the two boys moved close to each other. The majority of those speaking out against my play haven't even seen it. I realize it's a sensitive topic, which is why we played a disclaimer beforehand. However, the play didn't focus on the two gay characters getting close. It focused on the pain, agony, and insensitivity every one of the characters faced after such a realization.
TW: What was your inspiration for writing it? What were you trying to say or accomplish?
SAJ: I often wonder why so many insist there is some sort of "gay agenda," or why others actually believe that someone would choose a life in which they are ridiculed and judged every day. My main objective was to not make Ryan the strange loner kid that everybody talks about. There are so many stories of the awkward one coming out and being tormented. I wanted to make the point that "normal" people - those we all look up to - also can be gay. I want people to realize that this is happening every day in so many places and that love and tolerance are beautiful virtues that too few of us are blessed enough to have.
TW: What kind of reaction did you get from other students, teachers, and parents?
SAJ: I have amazing support from the students of Stone Bridge and high schools around the country. Teachers have come to me and congratulated me. The only problems I've had are with parents. Some of them are trying to shelter their children from something that those parents never even saw in the first place. They should realize their teenage children have minds of their own and are happy to use them.
TW: What would you say you've learned from the debate?
SAJ: For the most part, my opinions of the world, politics, and Loudoun County were justified. I've stood my ground in all of this. I have been able to meet some of the most amazing and beautiful people. I am truly blessed for this experience and every part of the outcome.
TW: What advice would you give to other students who might find themselves facing similar challenges in their schools?
SAJ: I know it's hard, and it's so obvious it seems stupid, but stay strong and never stop believing in yourself. The support of others will come and go; you'll be with you forever. Stay true to yourself - it's the hardest thing anyone will ever do.
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If you have questions about free speech issues in your school like those Sabrina Audrey encountered, visit the American Civil Liberties Union's FreedomWire page for youth and students. For more information about advocating for LGBTQ rights and promoting acceptance at school, in your family, and in your life, check out tolerance.org. |
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