Anthony Papini has been named the second executive director of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, which he labeled as "an incredible organization doing impactful work statewide to ensure LGBTQ youth have safe and supportive schools and communities."
Papini, who lives in Edgewater and is a Seattle native, moved to Chicago about three years ago to become the LGBTQA Resource Center director at Northeastern Illinois University. He is openly gay, having come out while in college.
"My accomplishments [at Northeastern] include drafting and implementing policies to support LGBTQA students across the institution, providing safe space for students who are navigating coming out or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity, and overseeing programming for students on campus related to sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and the intersection of other aspects of a students' identities, such as race or class," he said.
"I am fortunate to be a part of a thoughtful team [at the Illinois Safe School Alliance]—staff, board and youth—who work collaboratively to educate communities across Illinois on the importance of inclusion and educational justice. Our work is so multifaceted. We are in schools, educating the educators and administrators on how to be effective allies for LGBTQ youth. We are working with and for youth to develop leadership and expand the network of Gay-Straight Alliances across the state. And we are at the forefront of drafting policies and helping schools implement them thoughtfully and expediently."
Papini said his immediate goals for the Alliance are to continue strengthening its relationships across the state to support its mission-driven work.
"I would like to see us expand our work into parts of Illinois that have never had interactions," he said. "There are LGBTQ youth in every city or town and in every school. For many of those students, their experience is positive and welcoming and we want to celebrate that. For many [other] students though, it can be isolating and that is why the Alliance's work is so meaningful. Our professional development initiatives will continue to grow.
"We also [are] drafting model transgender inclusive policies with CPS and starting to work with other school districts. Another goal is to ensure that existing LGBTQ-affirming policies are being implemented fairly and thoughtfully. This will require our communities to celebrate and support our work to ensure we can grow and meet the demands."
Papini said his past experience working with LGBTQ students and LGBTQ-focused non-profits will have a huge impact on the Alliance and students across Illinois.
"During my time at Pride Foundation in Seattle, we expanded our scholarship program across five states and engaged volunteers from across the Northwest. It was transformational in how our work reached specific communities, and I believe the Alliance can similarly grow to serve populations and communities," Papini said. "My entire career has been dedicated to LGBTQ students. There are so many opportunities for LGBTQ youth today, but there are also numerous challenges that limit and undermine youth today, particularly transgender youth and LGBTQ youth of color. It can be dangerous for these young people and they can be left without any resources or support."
The job is much more than any standard 9-to-5 gig. This is very personal for Papini, who, when he was in middle school, knew he was gay, but afraid to come out until he was in college.
In high school, he was mocked for a mobility impairment, though he had a network of friends who accepted him unconditionally, as well as his family.
"When I came out, it was no different. But I know firsthand how difficult and distracting it can be to deal with bullying on top of everything you experience growing up. I am well aware of my privilege in that regard," he said. "I unfortunately know many friends and former students who were not so lucky. I have worked for over a decade in education, specifically with LGBTQ students, and I have encountered hundreds of students who were abused by their family, physically or verbally assaulted by other students in school, and ignored or told it was their own fault by teachers and administrators. So, yes, fighting for equality in our schools is a deeply personal job for me."
Bullying is still a huge issue, Papini said.
"There are numerous instances of micro aggressions against LGBTQ youth, particularly LGBTQ youth of color and LGBTQ youth with disabilities," he said. "So many schools are underprepared to respond and many youth don't know about the resources. My hope is that we continue to educate people that the Alliance is a resource for teachers, administrators, families, communities, and youth themselves when it comes to creating safe schools. Only through education, policy reform and implementation, and youth engagement are we going to ever address issues of youth being made to feel unsafe or treated violently.
"We just worked with a gender non-conforming, multiracial youth in a very rural part of Southern Illinois who was facing harassment and abuse at school. We made sure that the youth and their family had support and addressed the school to provide resources and trainings for their staff. This is just one of hundreds of examples of this happening every day. It has to stop, [and] working together, we can make that happen. It'll just take time."
There are 187 gay-straight alliances ( GSAs ) in the Alliance's network, a total that annual grows larger.
There also are four middle school GSAs in its network, a total that soon will grow with the addition of new middle-school GSAs in Evanston and DeKalb.
Lisle Community High School was awarded the Shannon Sullivan Technical Assistance Award for the 2014-2015 school year. "The Lisle GSA was successful in organizing the school's first GSA as well as working with administration and other supporters to ensure the GSA was strong and a safe place to discuss LGBT topics and make change in the school," Papini said. "This year, the GSA is hard at work planning workshops and events for school staff and students to take part in to further the knowledge needed to make the school safer for LGBT students."
Papini said GSAs are "vital" for many students, offering a space that is youth-centered and LGBTQA inclusive. "It is often the first chance for LGBTQ youth who are coming out to find other LGBTQ folks or supportive straight allies," he said. "GSAs, along with LGBTQ community spaces, youth groups, and other youth-affirming and youth-led spaces are vital to promoting healthy sexual orientation and gender identity development."
