Community Getting Behind His Cause

It's been several years since Zachary Baum was a junior high student in the Three Village Central School District, but he vividly remembers those days.

The 2011 Ward Melville graduate, who only very recently understood his own sexual identity as a gay man, was bullied consistently by those who perceived him as gay. The treatment would continue through high school. But Baum also recalls seeing other students in his position get even worse treatment at the hands of their peers.

"So many others have had to endure through so much more and I'm here to be their voice because it seems like there's few people advocating for them," said Baum, 18.

Baum is proposing district policy changes with specific language along with symbolic gestures to raise awareness of the issue, as well as putting a call out to people who "decide to lead rather than stay silent," so as to change the climate of bullying and bias in Three Village schools.

The school district itself is in the midst of preparing an anti-bullying curriculum to meet the requirements of New York State's Dignity for all Students Act, which is set to go into effect in July. Much of what Baum is hoping to achieve seems to be in line with the law's requirements, according to interim superintendent Neil Lederer.

"Obviously, sexual orientation will be part of it along with other kinds of bullying. ... It occurs at all levels. It got worse with cyberbullying," said Lederer, who acknowledged the problem seemed to be more prevalent at the junior high level.

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Acts of bias and bullying have led to a disturbing level of death and tragedy among LGBT youth. In September of 2010, following the suicides of Tyler Clementi and three other gay teens, CBS News reported on a study showing that nine out of ten LGBT students were bullied in school, and that LGBT youth were four times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers.

David Kilmnick, CEO of LIGALY, the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth organization, said it's all about students coming together to create a safer environment for all students.

"Our organization has been working with the Three Village Central School District for 19 years, but it doesn't mean there isn't more to be done," Kilmnick said. "The more students speak up and the more parents speak out, the more changes we'll see in the school environment."

Rev. Margie Allen, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, said although her organization has not yet talked to Baum, his ideas fall in line with the congregational stand UUFSB took in 2007 to be welcoming to the LGBT community.

"We are very interested in creating safe spaces, justice, and equality for gay youth and adults, all walks of life," Allen said. "Our children in our schools are particularly vulnerable. We are in support of having our schools be safe spaces."

Suffolk County Legis. Kara Hahn, D-Setauket, is also a supporter of Baum's ideas.

"Zack is an amazing individudal," Hahn said. "... Bringing awareness is important right now."

Cassie Madison, president of the Ward Melville Gay-Straight Alliance organization, also spoke up in support of Baum's initiative.

"The times are changing. Students are more willing to be out about their sexuality. But there needs to be a greater awareness of the increasing amount of LGBT voices calling for change," Madison said in a .

Baum said he thinks anti-gay bullying should have a separate treatment in district policies concerning bullying.

"I think the school districts try to make it one thing. I think publicly it's more digestible," Baum said. "... Every different type of bullying may have a different way to respond to it."

Baum, who is studying political science at the University of Delaware, said he was able to become comfortable with his sexual identity while in the context of a large and diverse student population at the university. It emboldened him to take on the issue at home.

"Some have said that this is a very scary thing that I am doing, to essentially oust myself to the entire town and beyond," Baum said. "However, the emotion I am feeling is that of empowerment. I see no other option given the current climate of our schools."