Pride Party 2022

This month saw the inaugural SCWA's Pride Party to celebrate LQBTQ+ Pride Month. Students, staff and as you can see from the picture above our canine colleague Duggie came together at an opening event, led by Mr Warburton and our very own Year11 Drag Queen, Jamie. During this speech, Jamie and Mr Warburton spoke candidly about their experience of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community; although a generation apart, both have felt the same struggles and shared similar support from friends, family and the academy community. It was bold and brave of Jamie to take to the stage and make himself vulnerable, but he did so to educate and support others in our community. Staff and students at the event commented on the warm atmosphere at the event, and how they enjoyed the various performances and activities on offer. A special thank you to all staff that supported the event, and more importantly, to the students that participated and attended. We were even serenaded by the amazing vocals of Ms Asobie with her rendition of 'Proud' by Heather Small. Please see the speech below, given by Jamie on that day:

Passionate about ‘Pride’' Fulfilling the School’s Values Through ‘Pride’: Our Values: Respect: We foster a culture of respect – we want all members of our Academy family to respect themselves, each other, our Academy, our Community, the environment and the value and power of education. SCWA is unapologetic about celebrating diversity and fostering a culture of mutual respect. Only through education, understanding and empathy can this be achieved, which is why our ‘Pride’ Festival is so important in our mission to achieve this goal. Inclusion: Everyone here is part of our Academy Family. We celebrate diversity and the uniqueness of each individual and, by doing so, add strength to our family. We work hard to overcome barriers to ensure that everyone feels safe, valued and included. SCWA is committed to ensuring the LGBTQ+ community is seen and celebrated. Through bold statements and powerful representation at our Academy, we aim to ensure all students feel safe to express and celebrate their truth and identity. Our ‘Pride’ festival will provide a place for all members of our community to come together in a safe and inclusive ‘celebration’. Family: We are a Family. This is more than a school. We care about every one of our students, our staff and our responsibilities. We support each other, believe in forgiveness, fresh starts and leaving no one behind. We are interdependent and have the highest expectations of ourselves and each other. SCWA is a large school with an even bigger heart which supports and values all members of its ‘family’ and recognises that everyone is unique, like the vibrant colours of the rainbow. Staff and students will stand side by side with members of the LGBTQ+ community, demonstrating love and acceptance for all. Collaboration: We are stronger when we work together. We are more than the sum of our parts. Our successes come from working, learning and growing together. We are proud partners with our local schools, RBG, LAT and the Stationers’ Livery Company. SCWA embraces collaboration and the belief that ‘together we can achieve more’. Our ‘Pride’ festival will showcase the power of collaboration and how together we can make small steps to bring about big change. Perseverance: We won’t and don’t give up. We are resilient, determined and committed to the long haul. We know it won’t always be smooth or easy, but we are relentless in the pursuit of being the very best that we can be. SCWA is resolute in its ambition to ensure our community has full representation, embraces tolerance, love and mutual respect. We acknowledge there are still bridges to build and barriers to overcome, but will not waver from our path to greatness and equality. Our ‘Pride’ festival is a bold and clear commitment to promoting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community at our school and beyond.

"SCWA, I am sad to say goodbye, especially as it seems the school is supporting the LGBT+ community like never before! Some of you may have heard of the hit BBC show 'Ru Paul's Drag Race' in which queens, such as myself, compete to the death (death drop, that is!!) for the opportunity to be Ru Paul's next Drag super star, such as the Divina De Campo, who I had the pleasure of interviewing during Pride History Month. In this amazing show, Mama Ru asks contestants to look at a picture of their younger selves and to reflect on the advice they would give to that 'younger self', having been on the journey they have, which for most of the queens is often one of fear, rejection and abandonment. So, what would I say to younger

Jamie about coming out and being gay and my last 5 years at SCWA? 'Remember, to get to the rainbow it has to rain first, you need to remember that people will bully you and be homophobic, but that is not your fault or burden to carry it's there's! It is not your job to fix them. All you can do is try to remain true to who you are and not let others knock you off your path. Who knows where this prejudice comes from? Lack of education? Family values? Religion? Fear? Maybe they are jealous of your self-confidence and sense of self and how amazing you are. Only they will truly know the answer and, hopefully one day, they will be open enough to ask questions, be curious about things they don't yet understand and show willing to change.You will make so many friends that will support you in what you do and they will be so proud that you will never know, many of which you found right here within these schools grounds; friends that will last forever. Always remember to love yourself, no matter what happens, no matter what some parts of society tell you, no matter what, be proud of who you are. When bad things happen - because they will - your fun-loving energy will make sure you jump back up and that you are resilient. Never ever lose your energy, because it's one of the greatest things you have! It may be annoying to others at times, but love it with all your heart. One thing you should remember: you should never be bullied into silence. Everyone will know who you are, and you will be that glimmer of hope for the students in the school who don't yet have the confidence to be their true self and shine - YET! The only definition of who you are and how you will live your life is yours, be who you are meant to be, not what others want you to be!' For all queer people out there, and at SCWA, we all have struggles, some more difficult to overcome than others, and no one is able to walk in your shoes, but after having spent 5 years at SCWA, I can say with happiness and confidence, that there will be people, friends, family and teachers that will always walk beside you, only, you were made to sparkle! See you main Stage!"