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Gay Straight Alliances

Gay Straight Alliances. Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools (“GSAFE”) increases the capacity of LGBTQ youth and all students, educational staff, and families to create school environments in which LGBTQ youth and all students can thrive. We do this by:

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Gay Straight Alliances

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  1. Gay Straight Alliances

  2. Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools (“GSAFE”) increases the capacity of LGBTQ youth and all students, educational staff, and families to create school environments in which LGBTQ youth and all students can thrive. We do this by: • Building the leadership of LGBTQ youth and students • Supporting GSAs • Training educational staff • Supporting inclusive families www.gsaforsafeschools.com

  3. Biological Sex Intersex Female Male Anatomy Chromosomes Hormones

  4. Gender Gender Roles (societal expectation of gender) Male Female GenderExpression (communication of gender) masculine androgynous feminine Gender Identity (psychological sense of self, “brain gender”) man woman

  5. Sexuality Sexual Orientation (romantic attraction) same sex bisexual opposite sex SexualExpression (sexual behavior) same sex both sexes opposite sex Sexual Identity (self-identification) gay/lesbian bisexual heterosexual

  6. WHAT IS A GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE? A Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, is a student-led group that forms within a school to promote school safety for students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ). These after-school clubs offer critical peer support for LGBTQ students, their straight allies, and youth who are questioning their identity. GSAs also provide education about LGBTQ issues to school communities.

  7. About 137 M.S. & H.S. GSAs and similar clubs in WI!

  8. WHO GOES TO GSA? • Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT). • Students who are questioning their sexual orientation or their gender identity. • Straight-identified students who support LGBTQ people and want to help create a safer school. • Children of LGBTQ parents. • Students who are social-justice minded and see this as a civil liberties issue. NOTE: Students who attend a GSA meeting are not, nor should they be, asked how they identify.

  9. WHAT DO GSAs DO? GSAs provide a place for social support. GSAs provide a place for education and learning. GSAs provide a place for advocacy and activism.

  10. GSAs provide a place for social/support

  11. GSAs provide a place for education

  12. GSAs provide a place for advocacy

  13. Most GSAs are a combination of these three elements

  14. LGBT Students of Color & GSAs • GSAs are often physically & culturally white. • “Getting” LGBT issues ≠ getting issues of race & class. • LGBT students of color often have to chose between identities & groups and often chose NOT to join GSA. • Parallel work needs to happen: Work with white students to understand white privilege and engage in anti-racism efforts AND work to create spaces for LGBT youth of color and support their leadership.

  15. How do GSAs make a difference? GSAs provide important opportunities for leadership development. GSAs encourage students to be engaged both civically and with their school environment. GSAs provide opportunities for students to develop important social skills and critical thinking skills. GSA may be the one place where some students find support for and affirmation of their identity.

  16. How do GSAs make a difference? • GSAs are one approach being used to create safe and welcoming school environments. In schools with support groups such as GSAs, lesbian, gay, and bisexual students were less likely to experience threats of violence, miss school because they felt unsafe, or attempt suicide than those in schools without such groups. - Hall HI, Ruiguang S, Rhodes P, et al. Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. JAMA 2008;300:520– 529. • Students who attend a school that has a GSA report an increased sense of feeling safe at school and an increased sense of belonging. - 2009 GSAFE WI School Climate Survey • Arne Duncan “Dear Colleague” letter – June 14, 2011

  17. Laws that support GSAs • Equal Access Act • First Amendment • WI Pupil Non-discrimination law

  18. Ways to engage with GSAs at Local Level • Ask schools what they are doing to support LGBTQ youth and if they have a GSA • GSA student leaders need to know resources for friends/themselves

  19. Common Misperceptions about LGBTQ Youth • Sexual Behavior vs. Sexual Orientation • “It Get’s Better” • They are all suicidal and depressed • Most at risk when in questioning stage • LGBTQ youth face greater risks due to deficits in the families, schools, and communities on which they depend upon for support and acceptance. Thus, we need to address those deficits…

  20. The Family Acceptance Project: http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/

  21. The Impact of Rejection

  22. The Impact of Rejection

  23. The Impact of Rejection

  24. The Impact of Acceptance

  25. The Impact of Acceptance

  26. Other Ways to Make it Better • Safe Zone & LGBT 101 training for educators and adults who work with youth. • Work with faith communities to promote acceptance. • Advocate for laws and policies that protect LGBT youth. • Examine own beliefs and behaviors that police gender.

  27. Additional Reading and Resources • The Trevor Project: Suicide Prevention and 24-hour Hotline www.thetrevorproject.org • National Association of School Boards’ “Dealing with Legal Matters Regarding Students’ Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” www.tinyurl.com/legalmatters • Teaching Tolerance: “THIS Is Why We Need a GSA” www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-31-spring-2007/why-we-need-gsa • National Education Association: “Strengthening the Learning Environment – A School Employee’s Guide to GLBT Issues” www.nea.org/assets/docs/mf_glbtguide.pdf • U.S Department of Education Statement on GSAs http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/110607.html

  28. Contact GSA for Safe Schools! GSA for Safe Schools is available to provide trainings for school professionals on how to create safer learning environments for all students, including supporting the formation of GSAs. • Brian Juchems - Email: brianj@gsaforsafeschools.com Phone: (608)661-4141 • Monica Adams – Email: monicaa@gsaforsafeschools.com Phone: (414)430-1321 • Tim Michael - Email: timm@gsaforsafeschools.com Phone (608)661-4141 Visit our website at: www.gsaforsafeschools.com

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