Shoppers are turning to stories of young activists as hopeful proof that schools can change. A recent Cambridge Rindge and Latin School graduate won a statewide Jeff Perrotti Award for campaigning for more gender‑neutral bathrooms and expanding Community Pride Day , a reminder that small, practical changes can make school life safer and more welcoming.

Essential Takeaways

  • Award winner: Finn Graham, a CRLS graduate, received the 2026 Jeff Perrotti Award for student LGBTQ+ leadership.
  • Practical wins: He helped add five single‑stall, all‑gender restrooms across the CRLS building, easing wait times and privacy concerns.
  • Event growth: Graham organised Community Pride Day programming with more drag, queer performers and student acts, including a voguing routine.
  • Community support: Teachers, administrators and district advocates backed the initiatives, turning early middle‑school resistance into high‑school collaboration.
  • Next steps: Graham heads to Trinity College Dublin to study stage management, while staying committed to activism.

How a simple fix , more single‑stall bathrooms , became a big win

Finn spotted a practical problem most schools ignore: too few all‑gender single‑stall restrooms. That meant longer queues, awkward waits and unnecessary outings from class when a bathroom wasn't accessible. He felt the frustration physically , the ten‑minute closure rule made delays stressful , and decided to act. According to the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth, the Jeff Perrotti Award honours exactly this kind of hands‑on change-making, recognising students who improve everyday life at school.

The work wasn’t rocket science, but it mattered. Finn worked with the district’s Youth Advocacy Specialist and school leadership to convert staff loos into student‑accessible, all‑gender stalls. The result , five additional single‑stall restrooms, one on each floor , smoothed daily life for trans, nonbinary and any student who prefers privacy. If you’re campaigning at your own school, start by mapping where stalls are and proposing realistic conversions rather than wholesale construction.

Community Pride Day: a festival that taught history as well as joy

Graham didn’t stop at facilities. He spent four years shaping Community Pride Day so it felt inclusive and educational, not just decorative. This year the programme leaned into performance , local drag, queer artists and student singers and dancers , and included a voguing routine from the CRLS Step Team, tying the event to the Black and Latinx queer ballroom traditions that birthed the style.

Events like this do double duty: they celebrate identity and teach context. When schools platform queer art forms and explain their origins, younger students see that queer culture is vibrant and historical, not a fad. If you’re organising a pride event, invite local artists, allocate a short history slot and make it student‑led so the day feels of the community, by the community.

From middle‑school pushback to high‑school allies: why persistence pays

Finn’s activism began out of necessity in middle school, where the response was chilly at best. Yet by high school he found teachers and administrators willing to listen. Damon Smith, a former CRLS principal, noted the cultural shift Finn helped spark, and district advocates praised the tangible outcome of his campaigns.

That arc , early resistance, later buy‑in , is familiar in youth advocacy. It’s useful reminder that change often takes persistence and allies in authority. If you’re a student facing pushback, document the problems, invite supportive staff into conversations, and propose clear, low‑cost solutions. Small, demonstrable wins build trust and pave the way for larger reforms.

Why Massachusetts honours student leaders , and what the award signals

The Jeff Perrotti Award, given by the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth, celebrates students who expand queer programming and create safer school spaces. The commission grew from a long statewide effort to support queer youth; in Cambridge, organisers point to an especially deep history of student activism, including the region’s early Gay‑Straight Alliance movement.

Awards like this do more than hand out certificates. They spotlight practical leadership , the nitty‑gritty of converting a toilet, curating an event, educating classmates , and they remind districts that supporting students yields concrete benefits. For school leaders, recognising student initiative signals a willingness to partner rather than simply paternalise.

What parents, students and schools can take from Finn’s story

There’s a tidy lesson here: advocacy that mixes practicality with community building works. Parents and students should flag daily barriers , physical access, wait times, exclusionary programming , and ask for pilot changes. Schools should treat student proposals seriously, starting with low‑cost conversions and inclusive event programming. And don’t underestimate theatre kids and captains: Finn also found belonging in fencing and stage work, which fuelled his confidence as a leader.

Finn is headed to Trinity College Dublin to study stage management, but he’s clear the activist impulse will travel with him. That’s a comforting thought: small, local fixes can shape futures.

It's a small change that can make every school day feel safer and more normal.

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