By Brian Messenger
Staff writer
Tue, May 13 2008 A photo exhibit showcasing families with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members was expected to attract the attention of a diverse sampling of high school classes and the public beginning yesterday, March 5. A student group, the Andover High School Gay-Straight Alliance, made a 20-photo exhibit called "Love Makes a Family" available to the school and greater community. The exhibit also includes first-person narratives and quotations from people depicted in the predominantly black-and-white photos. "Just to see it — it's one thing to be accepting and it's another to realize that there's not much to accept," said Zach, an Andover High student and member of the Gay-Straight Alliance. "When you see this you get a sense that it's really normal, that there's no real difference between families." It is the policy of the Andover High School Gay-Straight Alliance not to reveal the last names or ages of its members. The policy started several years ago, when a high school student's home was vandalized after being identified in a local newspaper, according to club co-adviser and high school science teacher Deb Burch. The traveling exhibit, which has been displayed at schools and businesses across the country, came to Andover High School once before, more than 10 years ago, Burch said. "I think a lot has changed," said Burch, noting that it has been years since any notable incident of homophobia-related harassment has occurred at the school. "Across the board in Massachusetts, it has been a lot more open and accepting." Burch said she planned to show the exhibit to her bio-ethics class. Students will use the notes they take this week when learning about sexual orientation and bioethical questions later in the semester, she said. Also expected to view the exhibit are "a huge number" of health, English, photography and social studies classes, she said. When it comes to gay and lesbian students, Ani, a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance, said there is a general feeling of acceptance at the high school. "It's kind of like the difference of nationality," said Ani. "I'm Italian and my friend is German. It's not a big deal." Ani said students and residents could benefit from viewing the exhibit. "It's just really cool to see all these families," said Ani. "It's a really, really great exhibit. It can be really helpful to see those things because you may not know someone who has gay or lesbian family members. It's really worth taking the time to see it while it's here." "The point is to see, indeed as the title says, 'Love makes a family," said Burch. "They are varied tremendously and it is indeed united by love. The narratives are powerful, first-person stories."
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