Tuesday, October 11, was National Coming Out Day and in honor of that the Be Yourself Club organized a rally on Friday, October 14, where the students were able to dress up however they wanted to and walk on a runway in front of a crowd. The idea behind the “Fashion Show with a Twist” was “to have fun with it and let people explore a different side of their gender that they may not have the opportunity to do,” said Be Yourself Club advisor Dr. Natalie Bernasconi.

LGBT is a topic that is known world-wide. People are encouraged to express themselves however they feel is right to them. Support systems, like the Be Yourself Club, have been put in place to help kids who struggle declaring their sexual identity. According to Bernasconi, The Be Yourself Club is an open space for students to bond with each other and be themselves without fear of being judged.

The fashion show was for the students to have fun with it and explore different sides of their gender that they might not be able to express on a daily basis. Evelyn Becerra, a freshman, was one of the students who walked on the runway and flaunted her confidence. “It was very terrifying, but it was fun at the last minute.”

The purpose of the rally was community outreach to help raise awareness on LGBT issues. Prior to the rally, Bernasconi revealed, “Although it [the rally] was meant to be playful, it is also to increase acceptance of our diversity and how we’re all different.” Maggie Candelario, president of the Be Yourself Club, said, “It actually turned out better than expected. I didn’t expect this many people but it was really welcoming to have a lot of students show their support.” The crowd showed their support by loudly cheering on and making the students feel welcomed and confident as they strutted down the runway.

Towards the end after the runway show, the cheerleaders decided to get in a line, side by side, and cheer “We are proud of you.” repeatedly as the crowd began to walk on the runway. Bernasconi said, “It was such a special moment. I’m really glad to have been able to have been a part of it.” Additionally, sophomore Natalia Jimenez, a member of the Be Yourself Club added, “I thought it went pretty well considering we were in the gym. It did so great, but if we were in the amphitheater there would have been more people, but overall it had a good turnout.”

Bernasconi believes Alisal High has become a better environment because of what the students have accomplished while being part of the Be Yourself Club. And Bernasconi expresses just that: “I have to say that the students are really brave and they’re willing to take risks to speak out on their own behalf and to stop people from disrespecting others. Because of their work, I believe Alisal is a better place now.”