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Start a Gay/Straight Alliance
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Gay/Straight Alliances, or GSA's, are student-led and student-organized school clubs that aim to create a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. GSA's provide a supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students, as well as those who are perceived by others to be LGBT, are questioning their identity, have LGBT friends or family members, or just care about LGBT issues.
GSA's help students work towards making schools safer for all students through providing support, educating others in their school about LGBT issues, and engaging in political activities like Day of Silence). GSA's also allow LGBT and straight students to cooperatively address issues that affect all students, including harassment, discrimination, and bias based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Like any club, what a GSA does is up to its members -- like pitching in on community service projects and getting together for social activities.
While school administrators sometimes balk at allowing students to start GSA's, federal law guarantees that students have the right to do so. There are two types of clubs in public high schools: curricular clubs (those that relate directly to things that are taught in the school, like Math Club), and non-curricular clubs (those that don't relate directly to things that are taught in the school, such as Key Club). The federal Equal Access Act says that if a public high school allows students to form non-curricular clubs at all, then it must allow students to form any non-curricular club they want, and the school must treat all non-curricular clubs equally. If you're trying to start a GSA at your school and you encounter resistance, or if your school places limitations on what the GSA can do that it doesn't place on other clubs, keep reading for tips on what to do and how to contact us for assistance.
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