I have never liked Valentines Day. Before I am labeled as a cliché, single teenage girl, I want to address that my hatred does not stem from a deep-seated fear of being alone for the rest of my life. No, I also do not isolate myself from society for a day to eat chocolate and sob through The Notebook (am I a bad person for having never seen The Notebook?). While these semi-justifiable traditions may be worthy causes, my indifference is actually a result of my distaste for the way Valentines Day is promoted, which, to me, seems to be a day to celebrate only heterosexual love. The matchmaker form I am handed in my homeroom class every year is a prime example.
While I am sure CHS does not purposefully create matchmakers to ignore the homosexual community at our school, I think that a change needs to be made in the way the matchmaker forms are written. First of all, I believe that there should be a question on the form asking students whether they are interested in boys, girls or both, instead of only including a question asking for students’ genders. This would combat any offense an individual could potentially take from being told which gender he or she should prefer. The matchmakers additionally make completely clear to participating students that potential matches of the same gender should be addressed as “best friends” instead of as love interests. Again, this shows that the matchmakers are geared toward solely straight students.
Even though there might be a smaller population of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) students at our school than heterosexual students, making changes in this form would be a great opportunity for CHS to show support of this community. The more students see permanent accommodations being made to address LGBT students, the more accepting students will become. Personally, I do not truly take the matchmakers seriously as a way to find a potential girlfriend, but I would feel much more included if this edit were implemented.
Not only would straight students become more accepting of gay people if the matchmakers are changed, but also closeted gay students at our school will build confidence as a result. As popular culture and public institutions embrace homosexuality, gay people in general are able to feel more comfortable with the idea of being their true selves around others. So, the quicker that CHS implements this change, the better for everyone.
Despite the fact that I am graduating this year, I hope that next year CHS will take the step of changing the matchmaker forms. If for no other reason, this would at the very least give girls like me the chance to be paired with Angelina Jolie as a celebrity match instead of Brad Pitt, which is a war won in itself. In all seriousness, Valentines Day clearly causes enough anxiety for society as it is, and this would be at least one less issue for LGBT students to be stressed about during this day.
