Less than a month since its inception, a Gay Straight Alliance group in Oak Harbor’s HomeConnection school has raised concerns among some parents.

When Addy Walker, 14, came up with the idea of the group, she envisioned a safe space where LGBTQ+ kids like herself could hang out, talk about movies and music, catch up and be themselves, rather than merely talk about their sexual orientation and gender identity.

But some parents who gathered at a regular Family Support Team meeting with Principal Shane Evans Wednesday afternoon said they worry their children are being exposed to harmful ideologies and politics. Over 30 people, including parents, staff and Walker, shared their opinions on these polarizing topics being discussed or mentioned in schools.

Parents had an opportunity to provide feedback for a policy update on posters and announcements in the school.

An attendee said the issue is not the existence of the group, but the way it’s presented.

According to Walker, numerous posters that advertised the group were taken down, though Principal Evans does not know by whom. To him, it felt “malicious.”

The poster, designed by Walker, invites prospective members to “join and make a stand … and bring lunch,” stating that “all friends are welcome.” The paper is embellished with a rainbow and a smiley frog holding a rainbow heart. “Gay Straight Alliance,” written in rainbow-colored letters, completes the look.

A parent commented that if her child questioned their sexuality upon seeing the flier, that was a problem. Another said LGBTQ+ ideologies are leading to “delusion,” self destructive behavior, “family blood bonds being switched off” and a drop in the global population.

In response to these comments, Walker told the crowd that posters alone don’t cause children to question their sexuality and gender, but it’s the feelings they are born with. Queerness, she said, is part of this world and will always be talked about.

Josh MacLean, who attended the meeting as a parent and not a school board member, wrote in a text that he found nothing concerning about the poster and commended Walker for speaking up for her peers.

In an email, Evans said that if the person or people who took down the posters are identified, the school will launch an investigation. Based on the findings, the school will then proceed with the appropriate action based on the school’s policies.

As emerged from the meeting, some parents chose to enroll their kids in HomeConnection — a public school and homeschool hybrid — to keep politics out of their kids’ education.

However, the Gay Straight Alliance is a group that has nothing to do with the curriculum taught at HomeConnection.

According to board policy, non-curriculum-related groups are allowed as long as the activities don’t disrupt school operations and that the members comply with the school’s rules.

In his text, MacLean pointed out that the group complies with the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act — which ensures that noncurricular student groups have the same access to public secondary school facilities as other groups.

The group meets from 11:30 a.m. to noon —during lunch time — every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, gathering at a different location each time and leaving the door closed.

Extracurricular groups should also meet outside of instructional hours to allow everyone to have equal access. Because all students have different schedules, lunch time is ideal, Evans said.

Some parents in attendance asked for the group’s meetings to be moved to either before or after school rather than during lunch, allowing them to pick up their kids to prevent them from participating in group discussions.

But some pointed out the need for a place where students who don’t feel accepted at home or at school can vent and find comfort before they harm themselves. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youths who have access to LGBTQ+-friendly spaces report lower rates of attempting suicide.

Evans told participants that he has heard multiple times that students feel more ostracized by parents than their peers. In an interview, Walker expressed the same feeling, though she added that most of the school community, including the principal, has been supportive.

In the interview, Walker recalled a meeting where four parents and a staff member observed and made the group members feel uncomfortable. At some point, she recalled, a parent said she was praying for the youths.

In a school with different perspectives and backgrounds, Evans said at the meeting, such differences should be a strength rather than drive community members apart. Another participant expressed the need to find a common standard for all, including religious non-curricular groups. Currently, Evans said, some students are trying to create a Christian Fellowship group.

While Evans does believe in the importance of keeping parents involved in their children’s education, he said he will respect his students’ civil rights when updating school policies.