Spruce Grove, Alta. to open first after-hours GSA

Hallie Tucker came home from her high school in Spruce Grove, Alta. one day and told her mom Jody aboutthe bullying.

The openly non-gender-binary teenagerwas being stalked and harassed every day by her peers, her mother said.

"When it became my problem, and it should have been my problem a long time ago, I decided to get more motivated," Jody Tucker told CBC News.

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Tucker has been making calls since Oct. 25, looking for a space to host the town's first after-hours gay-straight alliancegroup.

GSAsare student-led initiatives that are intended to create a safe and supportive environment for the LGBTQ community and its allies.

The Spruce Grove Public Library gave Tucker an enthusiastic response.

"Hell yes! Like, yes let's do this, we need this, it's not too late," Leanne Myggland-Carter, the library's marketing and fund development manager, said.

Tucker and library personnel will be facilitating the discussion among the young people who show up, but the youth will be able to steer the conversation into whatever topics they choose.

'We need them out in the open'

In December, the province passed Bill 24, a controversial piece of legislation that would strengthen the presence of GSAs in elementary, middle and high schools.

Spruce Grove Composite High Schoolalready has itsown GSAbut Tucker said there is a need for a group outside the education system.

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"They're in the schools and they're behind the cement walls and behind the doors, but we need them out in the openin the public spaces, in the libraries," Tucker said.

There has been a sense of relief amongsome Spruce Grove residents ever since the group started advertising, Myggland-Carter said.

"You could be here for any reason," Myggland-Carter said. "When you walk through the doors, it's much easier to come in to an open space, wander around and go in."

The small city of 34,000 people lies right outside Edmonton's city limits, but it does not have a common space for all LGBTQ youthand their allies to meet.

Until now, youth have had to travel to Edmonton to participate in a GSA outside of school.

'It's for all of us'

Hallie Tucker, 15, got involved right away, coming up with the design for the GSA's marketing campaign.

She chose a non-stereotypical logo for the group: a rainbow dragon, to show that LGBTQyouth are "badass and cool," her mother said.

The poster hangs on the front door of the library, advertising to the city's residents that they will be open for business as of Jan. 11.

Although the GSA started with Hallie Tucker in mind, her mother said she is looking forward to making thespace available to everyone in Spruce Grove.

"It's for all of us ... It started with Hallie but it's not just for her, it's for everybody," Tucker said.

This is only the first of many community initiatives for Tucker. The 41-year-old is hoping to make a sister program for parents of LGBTQyouthso they can better understand their children.

anna.desmarais@cbc.ca

@anna_desmarais