Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA)
Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA)
GSAs Build Power
GSA clubs, or GSAs for short, are student-run organizations that unite LGBTQ+ and allied youth to build community and organize around issues impacting them in their schools and communities. GSAs have evolved beyond their traditional role to serve as safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in middle schools and high schools, and have emerged as vehicles for deep social change related to racial, gender, and educational justice.
A growing body of research confirms that the presence of a GSA has a positive and lasting effect on student health, wellness, and academic performance. It can also protect students from harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and improve school climates for all students in the long-term.
GSAs Support School Communities
There are 3 different types of GSAs—all of which can directly impact LGBTQ+ youth: Social, Support, and Activist. Every GSA can create its own mission and goals to meet the needs of its members and the unique climate of their school.
- Social GSAs — Students meet and connect with other trans and queer students on campus
- Support GSAs — Students work to create safe spaces and talk about the various issues they face in school or their broader communities, such as discrimination from teachers or school administrators
- Activist GSAs — Students take a leadership role to improve school climate through campaigns and events that raise awareness and change policies or practices in their schools.
