X
How.com.vn is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 21 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
How.com.vn marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 94% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.
This article has been viewed 42,121 times.
Gay-Straight Alliances are often considered "safe spaces" for LGBT+ students, especially those who don't feel accepted. They can bring together LGBT+ people, and if the club wants to, they can choose to educate other people about topics and issues regarding LGBT+ people. The purpose is to make everyone feel welcome and accepted, and if you want to learn how to do so, it can be done - maybe not without resistance, but you can do it.
Steps
Follow your school's guidelines. Establish a GSA the same way you would any other group or club. Look in your Student Handbook for your school’s rules regarding clubs. Some schools require students to go through a process for establishing a club, this could include writing a constitution or showing student interest.[1]
Inform school administrators of what you are doing. It can be very helpful to have them on your side. They can work as liaisons to teachers, parents, community members and the school board. If an administrator opposes the GSA, provide them information about the Federal Equal Access Act (EAA).[2]- Feel free to point out that simply having a GSA reduces the risk of suicide in students of all orientations.[3]
Advertisement
Find a faculty member or teacher to run your club. School groups often require a teacher be involved to oversee things in order for a group to be officially recognized. Find teachers or staff members who you think would be supportive or who have already shown themselves to be an ally around sexual orientation and gender diversity issues. Let them know this is something you are serious about and how important it is to you.[4]- See your school rules for more information about who can be a club advisor.
Write a GSA goal for your alliance. With the help of your teacher or staff advisor, write a mission statement which outlines explicitly what your GSA will and will not be. This can make it clear whether the GSA will be a club that will only be a safe space, or whether the club might get involved in activist events.[5]- Make sure it says it is all inclusive and non-discriminatory. Be sure to mention that it is for the purposes of peer education and support.
- Outline the type of activities you plan to have, as well as the reason a GSA will be an asset to the school and community as a whole.
Find other students to join the GSA. If you can demonstrate that there is a significant enough portion of the student body interested in joining or supportive of a GSA at your school, you run a much better chance of getting the club to start. Work with a diverse range of students who are interested in such a group. You may check with other existing clubs for students who might have an interest.[6]
Pick a meeting place. You may wish to find a meeting place within the school that offers some level of privacy, yet is still accessible.[7]
Advertise your club. There are many ways to advertise – think about how you’ve seen other clubs advertise. This could be any combination of using your school bulletin, announcements, flyers, or word-of-mouth. Advertising your group and having words up such as “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit and queer” or “homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, cissexism, cisgenderism, heterosexism etc..” can be part of educating the school, and can actually make other students feel safer – even if they never attend a single meeting.[8]- If your flyers are defaced or torn down, do not be discouraged. Plan to have people check on them throughout the day and replace if necessary. Eventually, whoever is tearing them down will give up, or be reprimanded by the school.
Plan your meetings. Of course you want to have a good meeting, so plan ahead of time. There are tons of things you can do, from discussions to inviting speakers, workshops to games.[9] Visit Student Pride online for ideas.- Obviously, you can't plan out the details of every single meeting well before they happen, but you'll need to plan out your first meeting, as well as the general "format" that your GSA meetings will take.
Hold your first meeting. You may want to start with a discussion about why people feel the group is needed or important. You can also brainstorm what things your club could do this year.
Establish your club's rules. Many groups have ground rules in order to ensure that group discussions are safe, confidential and respectful. Many groups have a ground rule that no assumptions or labels are used about a group member’s sexual orientation.
Be prepared to face hostility. While it would be nice to believe that students and teachers at your school will be completely supportive of your GSA, this probably won't be the case. You will likely face hostility from the community and from students and parents, and possibly even school staff. But don't let this discourage you. Just remember you are helping hundreds of students have a better understanding, support and change of opinions about being LGBT+, and overall providing a more friendlier environment and community.
Plan for the future. Develop an action plan. Brainstorm activities. Set goals for what you want to work towards. If you haven’t already done so, contact GLSEN's Student Organizing Department so that you may share ideas, resources and information. You can also look into local GSA Networks in your town or city.Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Search
- QuestionWhy are GSA clubs important?
Kateri Berasi, PsyDDr. Kateri Berasi is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Founder of Transcendent Self, PLLC, a group therapy practice offering affirmative, collaborative, and intentional care, based in Brooklyn, New York. With over ten years of experience in the mental health field, Dr. Berasi specializes in working with adults from the LGBTQIA+ community and creative industries through individual therapy, couples counseling, group therapy, and costume therapy. She holds a BA in Psychology, Art History, and French Language and Literature from George Washington University and an MA and MEd in Mental Health Counseling from Columbia University. Dr. Berasi also holds a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University.
Licensed Clinical PsychologistGSA clubs give queer students the opportunity to meet other queer students. They can also be helpful if you're a queer individual looking for a relationship—chances are, you can meet some great folks there, or get introduced to other queer individuals through the people you meet at GSA. - QuestionMy school does not consider discrimination against sexual orientation as harassment, and therefore no support group is "necessary." What should I do?
Community AnswerTalk to your guidance counselor or try starting a petition. If that doesn't work, try starting one on your own and holding meetings off campus. FYI, if you live in the U.S, you are entitled to protection against discrimination, even at school. If you or someone you know is being harassed and no one is helping you, call the local media, school board, and/or the ACLU. - QuestionI live in the very conservative South. How could I establish this club when there are so many people against it?
Community AnswerGather like-minded people and start putting up posters to advertise your group. Talk to teachers, parents, and principals about this.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
SubmitAdvertisement
Tips
- Hold out reach events with other clubs at your school that will allow for students to realize that you are not as bad as they might think. A good example is hosting a movie night with your drama club (or department) and showing the movie Love, Simon (or any other movies with LGBTQ+ characters). If possible, provide pizza and drinks to encourage attendance.Thanks
- Make meetings as fun as possible. Play games and activities that allow members to get to know each other and have fun. You're building a support group by doing this, and your strength in the school community will increase in time.Thanks
- Network with local clubs and organizations in your area or state that will provide resources for your benefit.Thanks
Advertisement
Warnings
- People who are homophobic might try to hurt you, so be careful about what you're doing. You're trying to help people, not hurt them.Thanks
- The Equal Access Act on applies to schools in the United States who are government funded. Private schools are not affected by this act. Be sure of your school's status before using the EAA as a resource.[10]Thanks
Advertisement
References
- ↑ https://www.aclu.org/other/how-start-gay-straight-alliance-gsa
- ↑ https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/4071
- ↑ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/simply-having-gay-straight-alliance-reduces-suicide-risk-all-students-180949462/
- ↑ https://gsafewi.org/resources/for-youth-gsas/building-your-gsa/10-steps-for-starting-a-gay-straight-alliance/
- ↑ https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/safe_schools/mygsa/gsa_guide.pdf
- ↑ https://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/SocialJustice/Issues/LGBTQ/Gay-StraightAlliance.pdf
- ↑ https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/10-tips-for-starting-a-gsa
- ↑ https://gsanetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/10StepsGSA.pdf
- ↑ https://www.aclu.org/library-lgbt-youth-schools-resources-and-links?redirect=lgbt-rights_hiv-aids/library
Reader Success Stories
"This has been amazingly helpful. I'm glad I could find this article. I will definitely be planning something in the future!"..." more
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
Advertisement
