Meet Our New Digital Communications Assistant: Camille Beredjick

My high school didn’t have a Gay-Straight Alliance. In fact, when I mentioned starting a GSA to a teacher I trusted, she asked me not to bring it up again because she could get in trouble. While my school wasn’t a particularly toxic environment for LGBT students like me, it wasn’t quite welcoming, either. I heard “that’s so gay” and other hurtful language every day, but I was too scared to speak out against it. Among my more than 2,000 classmates, only a handful were openly LGBT.

I’m lucky to have found LGBT-inclusive resources and a supportive friend group in college. But when I was still in high school, struggling to accept my sexuality and unsure of how to come out to my peers, I would have benefited immensely if someone had told me about GLSEN. Years later, I’m honored to join the GLSEN team as a Digital Communications Assistant, helping to make schools safe for all students.

I recently graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and Gender Studies – though I secretly wish I could have majored in Tumblr. Throughout college I wrote about LGBT issues for class assignments and through various internships, and I also publish a daily LGBT news blog called GayWrites.org. I love blogging and other online media because they let me connect with thousands of LGBT people and their supporters about issues that matter. That’s part of why I’m so thrilled to be working at GLSEN: it combines my two greatest passions, namely advocating for equality and creating change through the power of communication.

As part of the Communications department, I’ll be working to make sure GLSEN’s message of acceptance, inclusivity and respect reaches as many people as possible. That means getting the word out through all kinds of media, from blog posts to Facebook to word-of-mouth. Everyone accesses news and information differently, and part of my job is making sure nothing stands in the way between LGBT youth and the resources that will help them thrive in school.

If I’ve learned anything from immersing myself in LGBT news (and spending way too much time online), it’s that there is more support out there than I could have possibly imagined when I was 17. In the past few years, students have encountered less anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools and more GSAs and supportive staff. While we’re far from eradicating bullying, especially online, LGBT youth have used the internet to create supportive communities and avenues to activism. I’ve seen this kind of organizing firsthand; every day, I get messages from GayWrites readers who share their experiences starting LGBT student groups, coming out to their teachers or supporting their friends. These are the people who most inspire me, and I’m honored to work alongside them.

In short: Joining the GLSEN team is a dream come true, and I’m beyond excited to be here. I can’t wait to collaborate with passionate people, speak up for those who can’t and continue the conversation.