A Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) is a student-run club in a high school or middle school that brings together LGBTQ and straight students to support each other, provide a safe place to socialize, and create a platform for activism to fight homophobia and transphobia through advocating safe schools policies, mobilizing their peers to stand up for safety and equality, and training teachers to stop bullying.
Students have indicated that they feel safer when their school supported the formation of a gay-straight alliance group.
For more information, contact:
Gay-Straight Alliance Network at www.gsanetwork.org
GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network at www.glsen.org.
To find a GSA near you: www.gsanetwork.org/national-directory
To start a GSA in your school: wwwgsanetwork.org/get-involved/start-gsa
Have GSAs devote one month a year to discussing religion-based bigotry. During that month, they could:
- Have two local affirming ministers speak about how homosexuality is not incompatible with faith.
- Host a showing of “For The Bible Tells Me So,” a film outlining the experiences of five families dealing with questions of faith and homosexuality.
- Host CRISIS book reading and discussion for students and parents.
- Be on look out for anti-gay sentiment being expressed in the local newspaper or elsewhere in community and write a responding letter-to-editor from the GSA.
- Ask the student body to sign a pledge to stand against religion-based bigotry.