Frederica Freyberg:

Now a look ahead to this weekend and a statewide award ceremony for students active in their high school gay-straight alliance organization. GSAFE is the state service organization that supports students, teachers and families on matters related to LGBTQ issues in schools and beyond. Each year selected students who further that mission are honored for their work at a banquet for educators and youth from around the state. The awards dinner is tomorrow night. Our next guest is a Green Bay Southwest High School senior who is one of the 2018 scholarship winners. Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez will be recognized for her work expanding her school’s gay-straight efforts for all students, including Oneida tribal teen members. Mercedes joins us now from Green Bay. Thanks very much for being here.

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

Thanks. I’m glad to be here.

Frederica Freyberg:

We wanted to say congratulations. As we just mentioned, your work at Southwest High has increased the size of the school’s membership in your gay-straight alliance chapter. How did you go about that?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

With that, we started out very small because we weren’t really used to each other, but as we continued working and socializing and getting to know each other, we eventually all became like pretty good friends. And with that, they invited their friends and the inclusivity just dropped and we all started to get to know each other and accept each other. And I think with that, we were all super encouraged to like grow together. And so yeah.

Frederica Freyberg:

Youve also worked to expand your school’s gay-straight membership to include Oneida tribal members. You yourself are Oneida. How are challenges for young Indian LGBTQ people different from nonnative youth?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

I think for native youth, we suffer from a lot of underrepresentation, especially in the media. So with that, we are kind of confined to ourselves if we live on or off the reservation. And I think especially in a school establishment, there isn’t a lot to relate to or seek others who may be LGBT or just an ally. And so I think that with expanding on advocation, especially for other native youth, that like to seek others and truly understand what it is to be yourself and to accept yourself and not just tolerate I think, you know, we even got to do more than we thought we would.

Frederica Freyberg:

What do you say to a young person who might be watching this tonight who’s afraid to come out?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

I think that no matter what, no matter what you think of yourself or what others think of you, you are still human and there are others like you and there’s others going through exactly what you’re going through. And even though you feel misunderstood and underrepresented, you’re not alone and you are accepted, no matter what. No matter who you think people are inside, they’re going to accept you no matter what, no matter who you think they are.

Frederica Freyberg:

How important were adult mentors in this work that you’re doing?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

Our advisers were so helpful, and they are counselors themselves. Even though they are busy, they’re doing a lot of work, you know, in the student body. And I think, you know, they’re so respectful towards us and, you know, towards — no matter like our gender or sexuality or race, they are super understanding. And I think that the more understanding and accepting they were of us in our program, the more comfortable we became. And as that continued, they were more comfortable coming out, especially in a group.

Frederica Freyberg:

What are your hopes and expectations for your high school from which you will now be graduating going forward in terms of keeping the work that you’ve done going?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

I noticed that there are a few seniors, most of which are my friends in GSA and we look back on it and we see all of these freshmen, sophomores, all these underclassmen and they are so inspiring and they’re so inspired themselves. They’re very passionate and they’re very driven for acceptance. And I think that they’re going to do so much more than we did and Im so happy and Im so glad that I get to see that.

Frederica Freyberg:

You laid the groundwork. But what are your plans after graduation and for the scholarship money that you will receive tomorrow night?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

Im definitely counting it towards college, and Im hoping to do work in social sciences and literature.

Frederica Freyberg:

And where do you expect to go to college?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

St. Norbert.

Frederica Freyberg:

And why did you choose St. Norbert?

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

I chose St. Norbert because they gave me a really great opportunity, and Ive actually have like family who go there. After touring the campus, I saw so many like-minded people. I’ve been recommended organizations, social organizations to participate in. And I think it would be a great fit for me.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. Mercedes, thank you very much. And, again, congratulations.

Mercedes Danforth-Hernandez:

Thank you so much.