Gay-Straight Alliance
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Gay-straight alliances are student organizations, found primarily in American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and their straight allies (LGBTA).
Most, if not all, Gay Straight Alliances are aimed at making schools a safe place for all students, no matter their sexual orientation or identity. Many participate in national campaigns to raise awareness, such as the Day of Silence, National Coming Out Day, and No Name Calling Week (http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home.html).
A common misconception among the student body and the parents of those students is that GSAs are simply dating services, or places where the "gay kids" can get together. In actuality most GSAs find that straight allies compose the majority of their membership. Some GSAs change their name to place less emphasis on the word "gay," resulting in creative alternatives such as "Project Rainbow," "Pride Alliance," "Spectrum," or even the "Straight-Gay Alliance."
Some students face opposition from the administration, the school board, and the local community in starting a school GSA. For example, in 1999 the Orange County, California school board voted unanimously to prohibit the formation of a GSA at El Modena High School. The students sued the school board, claiming that their rights under the First Amendment and the 1984 Equal Access Act had been violated. In the first-ever ruling of its kind, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter issued a preliminary injunction ordering the school to allow the GSA to meet. The suit was eventually resolved in a settlement whereby the board is now required to recognize the GSA. Many other public high schools have used similar tactics to protect their GSAs.
External link
- GSA Network (http://www.gsanetwork.org/)