Take a Breath: It’s just acceptance. It’s not that hard. Oak Harbor teenager shows courage through struggle

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 5, 2026

“Alliance” is a powerful word. Maybe it was that power, or more precisely fear of that power, that got the beef going.

Olive Walker (no relation to this writer) was 14 at the time. She was just starting 9th grade at HomeConnection, Oak Harbor School District’s program for home school students.

“There seemed like no safe space at school for queer kids,” says Olive today. She knew other queer students who felt the same way, including some who were not out to their parents. They all knew straight kids who were supportive too. “I talked to an adviser. We just wanted a place where we could relax and be ourselves. It’s good to know who your people are.”

The students, led by Olive, followed all the district guidelines regulating interest groups. They asked trusted teachers for support and guidance. They called themselves the Gay-Straight Alliance, and it’s an understatement to say there was backlash. As reported in the News-Times in October of 2024, some of their posters were taken down, a handful of parents approached the school saying the group was inappropriate, and a vocal few accused the teens of pushing harmful ideologies and indoctrination on their children.

Ideologies. That part makes Olive laugh, looking back at the irony of it. The GSA message was simply acceptance, that everyone needs a safe place to be, that everyone is welcome. When some adults spoke out harshly against that idea, the GSA kids found it pretty clear whose ideology was harmful.

But that irony wasn’t clear to everyone, at least not at the beginning. Today, Olive describes the rest of her freshman year as “a downward spiral. It took a toll on my mental health.” The negative reactions came mostly from parents, but also from her peers. At times she felt unwelcome at school, “except for the GSA group, but otherwise I was paranoid, not knowing which students believed those hurtful things I was hearing. Some stopped being my friends.”

Erika Jenkins, one of Olive’s HomeConnection teachers, knew Olive was going through a difficult time. “A few of my colleagues and parents reacted poorly,” Jenkins says, “and abandoned their obligations to universally treat all students with kindness. Olive learned at a young age that not all of our ideas and efforts will be well-received by those around us, which can be painful.”

Olive’s mom, Kelsie Gibson, says the year was tough on the whole family’s mental stability. “I lost friends too,” she says, shaking her head. But it was hardest for Gibson to see others abandon Olive, to “watch her struggle, and try to just control her environment.”

Olive has no regrets. The GSA, she says, was necessary and “we took a stand. We were ostracized for it. But we did the right thing. A few parents said ‘you’re pushing ideas on my kids.’ No we weren’t.” Does she have a message for those parents now? “I’m not the dark side. I want to listen, to learn. But I was raised to question, to make a ruckus.”

Asked if she sees herself as a leader, Olive pauses. Gibson, sitting next to her, knows the answer. “Yes, for her whole life,” she says, a proud smile across her face.

Olive nods, and credits Gibson for her independence. “Mom says ‘don’t just think what I think, think for yourself. Make up your own mind.’ But yes, if people are open, need a leader, I’ll be a leader. I try to communicate, to listen, and to look out for the group. And I’m not afraid to say things. Loud, if I have to.”

So, does that mean she’s brave? Wasn’t it scary, standing up to adults three times her age who wanted her to sit down and be quiet, who called her a sinner? “I’d call it anxious,” Olive says. “I was anxious, but I wanted to make things better for my friends. I needed to advocate for others, I mean, if people can’t use their own voices, we need to. I felt like, if I didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done.”

Olive transferred to Oak Harbor High last fall, and she’s happy she left the mental turmoil behind. “I didn’t know it could be like this, with people simply being accepted for who they are.” She knows she earned a reputation as an agitator at Home Connection, and “I like it. I’ll stir the pot, for the right cause, for a positive outcome, or just to get a conversation rolling.” She’s proud to point out that the GSA group she started is still going strong, carried on by her friends. “We knew there was something wrong, and we started the talk” to address it.

Jenkins, Olive’s teacher, sees the GSA’s continuation as proof that Olive’s convictions were right. “As an educator, and fellow human, I want her to know I’m grateful for her determination and proud of her for being her true self.”

Olive got into acting in eighth grade, and she’s building that talent in the drama program at OHHS. “I feel like I fit in with drama people,” she says, “like I can be myself with them.” She joined the choir too, and loves being on stage, whether acting or singing. “I’ve always been a drama queen. It’s my true form. And it feels like a second home.”

Beyond the joy it brings her, Olive sees performing as a life skill. “It builds confidence. It’s good for conversational skills, especially doing improv. And I’ve found I can channel my anxiety into excitement.”

In June, Pride Month, Olive feels an extra bit of that excitement. “Things look brighter. Everyone feels more united, and more straight people are becoming allies.” Besides, she says, “I love rainbows. And parades are fun.”

June will be fun, but Olive sees serious challenges in the future for queer people. She knows the history of the past few decades, that rights like employment and marriage equality are still fresh and fragile.

“We still need to keep fighting, and making change. Things are the best they’ve ever been for us, but there’s been a lot of pushback against the progress we’ve made.” She sees a clear lesson here: “The more you gain, the more you stand to lose, so there’s more to fight for.”

Olive Walker is up to that challenge. Those life skills from drama and singing will be extra valuable as she pursues her goal to be an attorney. Think about that for a minute. Meeting this brave teenage agitator, it’s easy to imagine her changing the world.

William Walker’s monthly “Take a Breath” column seeks paths to unity on Whidbey Island in polarized times. Find his personal opinions on sports, politics, and culture at https://playininthedirt.substack.com/.

Note: Olive, like many of her peers, uses the term “queer” to generally refer to LGBTQ+ people. While the word was for many years, and can still be, a pejorative, that’s clearly not how Olive means it so we used it when quoting her here.