Read The Fight for Free Online

are policies about bullying and what has to be covered in the curriculum…”
    She looked thoughtful for a moment. “But there was that group of parents last year who were really vocal about something at the school having to do with … homosexuality. A club?”
    â€œThe GSA?” I said, my throat tightening. Mom raised her eyebrows. “Gay Straight Alliance,” I said.
    â€œLike a support group for those kids?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
    â€œKinda,” I shrugged.
    â€œHmm,” she tapped her cookbook.
    â€œCould you find out more? Like talk to some other parents or PTA people?” I asked.
    She looked at me. I could see her thinking
Why are you so interested?
But then she thought of Dominic, and somehow that was an explanation. She nodded.
    â€œThere’s a PTA meeting next week—you could come.”
    I was horrified. “Kids don’t go to those, do they?”
    â€œThey can.” She grabbed a paper calendar off her desk. “And there’s a school board meeting two weeks after that if you were interested.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t—can’t you just ask around? I’m just wondering if something’s going on that explains … stuff.”
    â€œAnd if there is?” she asked, her head tilted.
    I shrugged again. “We’ll see.”
    After dinner, Mom said, “I think I remember there were some letters to the editor from the parents involved in the club thing. But I didn’t really pay attention because it wasn’t something you or Matteo …” she trailed off.
    â€œThanks,” I said, escaping to my room.
    It took some searching, but I finally did find one letter that I thought was what she was talking about. It was from last year, and it was signed Sheila Walton. Cory Walton had been a senior last year and her sister, Shana, was in my class. Maybe this was their mom?
    â€œGSAs encourage a sexual disorder,” the letter said. “Vulnerable children are trained in these sex clubs to experiment with unhealthy behavior. Wake up, parents. If you don’t want your child targeted to become part of the homosexual agenda, you need to oppose these clubs being allowed in our schools. It’s for the safety of all our students.”
    That made my blood boil. Not allowing GSAs
protected
students? That was the stupidest thing I’d heard. It hadn’t protected Dominic.

“S
    o?” I said, meeting Mom when she came in the door from the PTA meeting. She looked surprised to see me.
    I’d seen Zoe and the others in the hallways a few times, but the GSA hadn’t met again.
    Dominic’s funeral had been exactly as I expected. A few people from school were there. Mom and Papi both cried through the whole thing. I cried too, but I also felt mad at Dominic’s poor parents. If they had seemed more accepting, wouldn’t things be different? What did they think was Dominic’s reason for killing himself? But for that matter, did I really know?
    â€œHi,” said Mom. “Let me get in the door.” She fussed around with her folders as I hovered.
    â€œOK, I didn’t find out a lot. I don’t know exactly how different people feel on this topic so I have to be kind of careful. And there’s not a natural opening to talk about it since you didn’t want me to say anything about Dominic.”
    I bounced with impatience.
    â€œBut it does sound like when some kids tried to start that club—”
    â€œThe GSA,” I interjected. Club sounded too much like Mrs. Walton’s letter about sex clubs.
    â€œYes, that a group formed called the Concerned Parents, and they went to the school board.”
    â€œYeah, and?”
    â€œAnd I don’t know what happened after that.
    â€ I turned away disappointed.
    â€œBut I do know that the minutes from the school board meetings are online,” said Mom. “I get them in e-mails too, but