On June 1st, the SAGA (Straight and Gay Alliance Club) presented its final Library Showcase for the year to numerous classes: A Modern History of LGBTQ+ Figures and Their Contributions. This showcase is also a part of SAGA President, Bailey Asbury’s Girl Scout Gold Award.

Bailey is a Juliette Girl Scout, which means that she is her own troop, and is based out of Washington. She is part of Service Unit 90. She is a resident of Washington Township.

Her description of her project: “My Girl Scout Gold Award is built on the foundation that everyone, despite race, ethnicity, ability, sexuality, or gender, deserves to not only thrive in their own right, but understand and know the story of their identities and communities.” She explianed SAGA has completed astounding work researching these figures and compiling the biographies of James Baldwin, Howard Ashman, Gladys Bentley, Emily Dickinson, Sally Ride, and Albert D.J. Cashier in an engaging, passionate presentation.

“Over the coming months, I will work to create a mural focusing on these figures, as well as posters to be sent out to 50 high schools across the country,” she said. She will also send the presentation itself.

The mural will be hung in the Warren Hills High School Library and the presentation will be distributed to the school’s our US History II teachers with the goal of educating all students on the impact and contributions of LGBTQ+ people. Bailey, said, “I will forever be in awe of everyone’s dedication to this project and my leadership, and I thank all the staff and students who have donated their time and energy to this vision.”

She quotes Gladys Bentley, a blues singer and pianist during the Harlem Renaissance: “Some decide to take the reins of their destiny in their own hands.” and explains that is what she is doing with the project.

Her SAGA Advisors are Magaret (Maggie) Devine, librarian, and Kevin Horn, English teacher at Warren Hills.