In this episode, I speak with Nafeeza, a bisexual 9th grader who participated in two protests of Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill – one of which she organized. Nafeeza bravely talks about bullying she has experienced, including being told to die, and the lack of response from her administration. We talk about creating GSAs (her school doesn’t have one), and things that make school safer and more inclusive. I’ll be helping Nafeeza as she works to bring a much-needed GSA to her school, Bayside High School in Palm Bay, Brevard, Florida.
Interview with Students Hailey and Taylor from Winter Springs High School about Florida’s New Don’t Say Gay Bill
In this episode of Creating Safe Schools, I interview high school seniors Hailey and Taylor about organizing their school’s protest of Florida’s new bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, HB 1557. We talk about the effect of the current climate on LGBTQ+ students in school, about their efforts toward acceptance, and about what school officials can do to make their schools safer and more affirming.
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Interview with Andromeda about Being an LGBTQ Adolescent, and Florida’s New Don’t Say Gay Bill HB 1557
In this podcast I’m speaking with Andromeda, a non-binary adolescent in Florida who goes by the pronouns they/them. They spoke with me about how being LGBTQ affected their social relationships growing up, about their school environment, and about the recent Florida Don’t Say Gay bill, designed to prevent discussion of LGBTQ related issues in Florida’s public schools.
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Creating Safe Schools: Actions Allies Can Take, Podcast
In this podcast, I’ll be detailing some of the things teachers and administrators can do in their school to help make it a safe, welcoming, and affirming environment for all students. #saygay #wesaygay #LGBTQ #LGBTQ+ #LGBTQallies
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10-Meeting Jump Start Curriculum
Start Your GSA Off on the Right Foot
It’s wonderful to have your GSA approved, your sponsor in place, and to begin planning your first meeting.
GSAs can have different goals, and yours is probably defined in your mission statement. But all GSAs serve certain functions – creating a safe and welcoming space for students, and helping students flourish in their families, schools, and communities.
The downloadable 10-meeting curriculum guide is designed to touch upon various aspects that are vital to LGBTQ+ youth and to GSA success. These include getting to know each other and establishing group norms, recognizing and agreeing upon preferred terminology, understanding and navigating peer relationships, understanding roles in families, churches, and other connected institutions, assessing personal strengths, developing a personal support network, connecting with the broader LGBTQ+ community, and more.
Whether your group’s primary goals are advocacy to promote change, the gathering and sharing of information, socialization, mental health support, or, more likely, some combination of those, starting your GSA off touching on the topics in the 10-meeting curriculum guide can create a strong foundation for future meetings.
Curriculum Guide Topics
Meeting 1: Introductions, ground rules, determine GSA mission and goals, elect officers
Meeting 2: Discuss current and preferred LGBTQ+ language and terminology
Meeting 3: Examine peer and school relationships
Meeting 4: Explore dynamics within families and non-school institutions
Meeting 5: Discuss personal strengths and support networks
Meeting 6: Learn about the broader LGBTQ+ community
Meeting 7: Connecting with the broader LGBTQ community
Meeting 8: Advocacy in the school
Meeting 9: Advocacy in the community, state, and nation
Meeting 10: Small group support
However, in the end your GSA is for you, designed to meet your needs within your school. Therefore, feel free to adapt/adjust the suggested curriculum as needed for your members’ and school’s individual circumstances.
GLSEN created a comprehensive GSA Jump-Start Guide that goes far more in-depth on many of the topics covered here. This site is intended to be easy to explore, but exchanges thoroughness for ease and brevity. For a much more detailed examination of the topics covered here, check out the GSA Guide’s: Part 1, Building and Activating Your GSA; Part 2, Tips and Tools for Organizing an Action Campaign; Part 3, Strategies for Training Teachers; Part 4, Understanding Direct-Action Organizing; Part 5, Examining Power, Privilege, and Oppression; Part 6, Creating Youth-Adult Partnerships; Part 7, Where’s the “T” in GSA?; and Part 8, Evaluation, Continuation, Celebration!
Many GSAs start each meeting with every attendee introducing themself with their name and preferred pronouns.
It can be helpful to start each meeting with a review of the group’s ground rules, which should be established during the first meeting.
Statistics Infographic
Writing a Mission Statement
What is the Purpose of a Mission Statement?
A mission statement is your club’s way of letting people know why you exist. What are your primary goals? What do you want to accomplish? Every club is different and goals will vary – some students want to engage in advocacy in the school and the community; others want a place of non-judgmental acceptance. In most cases, a GSA will set out to accomplish multiple goals.
Here are some sample mission statements other GSAs have written, as well as links to where more can be found. Use these to help formulate what you want your GSA to accomplish. Your mission statement can be a few sentences to a few paragraphs long.
Lemont High School, Lemont, IL
“Our mission is to work towards a more accepting environment for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity through education, support, social action, and advocacy. We believe that schools can be truly safe ONLY when every student is assured of access to an education without fear of harassment or violence (GSA Mission Statement Examples, n.d.).”
New Paltz High School, New Paltz, NY
“To promote tolerance and acceptance throughout the school community and to provide a safe, non-judgmental space as a support network for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Straight youth who share a common vision of social equality (GSA Mission Statement Examples, n.d.).”
Great Mills High School, Great Mills, MD
“As the Gay Straight Alliance of GMHS, it is our mission to bring together and recognize lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and straight youth in a positive and non-judgmental environment where they can fully express their individuality and share experiences. In addition, it is also our intent to create alliances that increase awareness, decrease prejudices and create a safe school atmosphere for all (GSA Mission Statement Examples, n.d.).”
If your GSA needs more guidance, the GLSEN GSA Jump-Start Guide, Part 1 (pp. 8-10), is an excellent resource for helping your GSA work through the process of writing your mission statement.
Miramar High School, Miramar, FL
“Here at Miramar High School, our Gay-Straight Alliance brings together gay youth and straight allies to fight homophobia on campus and in the community through the pursuit of knowledge, by educating the community about different sexual and gender identities, by linking homophobia with other oppressions, and by coming together as a single unit to form a wall against harassment. The GSA brings students together to meet new people, hang out, and grasp different points of view.”
“Through our activities, we aim to reduce any feelings of isolation and depression that students may experience, whatever their sexual or gender identity may be. We welcome all students to participate in our after-school events, and to come talk about any issues concerning bullying or harassment due to prejudice and discrimination. Members can also air personal issues in an atmosphere of confidentiality. We are here to support one another, share resources, learn together, and have fun! Come join us! (GSA Mission Statement Examples, n.d.)”
Links to Sites with Other Mission Statement Examples
ACLU GSA Mission Statement Examples
References
GSA mission statement examples. (n.d.). ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/other/gsa-mission-statement-examples
Sample GSA mission statements. (n.d.). G Safe. https://gsafewi.org/resources/for-youth-gsas/building-your-gsa/sample-gsa-mission-statements/
Writing a mission statement. (n.d.). GLSEN. https://www.glsen.org/activity/writing-mission-statement
Creating a Proposal Letter
So you are ready to begin the process of creating your school’s GSA. Start by submitting your proposal to the school administration.
- Talk with your administration before you apply, and, if possible, ally with them so that everyone is working toward the same goal – a safer, more inclusive school for all.
- Make sure you know your school’s policy regarding how to create a non-curricular club. Follow all steps as outlined in the policy (such as naming one or more faculty sponsors, identifying a meeting location, etc. Steps will vary by school). When you are ready to apply, submit your proposal with any additional data (such as statistics, demonstration of student interest, etc) that you feel might be helpful in promoting success.
If you expect any resistance, take the following steps to make the path easier:
- Know the law. It’s on the side of students creating GSA’s.
- Print the statistics to show to your administration/school board. Let them know why a GSA is a needed resource for LGBTQ+ students. (Infographic pdf)
- Print the list of benefits for both individual students and the school as a whole.
- Have a list of students who want to join your GSA – LGBTQ+ and allies. Demonstrate that the need and desire is there.
- Arrange for local community college students – preferably recent graduates – to speak with the faculty, administration, and staff about their experiences in the school, and present the perspective of at-risk students.
If, even after taking these steps you encounter resistance, contact the ACLU or LAMBDA LEGAL for legal assistance.
Suing your school board, and winning, has been shown to be a successful strategy in creating a safer school environment (Finn, 2021).
ACLU
Lambda Legal
References
Finn, J. (2021, October 23). New LGBTQ+ school-bullying study electrifies advocates. Medium. https://medium.com/prismnpen/new-lgbtq-school-bullying-study-electrifies-advocates-ae52629bad83
Guide to Creating Safe and Welcoming Schools 