My friend and I would like to start a GSA or gay straight alliance, the only problem is that we have a homophobic principal that is threatening any teacher who helps sponsor with losing their Job if they try to take it anywhere. We really want to get this started, is there anything that we can do? We already know that it is protected under the Equal acess acts, but we are kind of lost.
2006-10-08 15:14:25 · 4 answers · asked by Keianna 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
I would do a LOT of research (I know it sounds dorky, but try your public library, I'm in library school and refrence librarians are often trained for JUST this kind of question and they just sit at the desk twiddling their thumbs because people are too scared to ask them for help) and see if you can have a non-faculty member adult sponsor the club, such as someone's parent or a teacher at another school in your district. I know that when I was in High School, our forensics team was lead by an elementary teacher and our academic decathalon by someone's mom who didn't work for the district at all. See if you can use that to bypass the principal and the faculty under him.
If that wont fly, I agree with whomever said go to your school board. Know your legal rights, and have some adults help you guys prep some statments. Let the principal know that you will be taking this issue to the school board (he might change his mind so this doesn't impact his career) and consider getting some help to write a press release to send out to local media on the day of the school board meeting. Sometimes you can win just by threatening to be loud enough.
If they still tell you no, get louder. Stage a walkout of your school (complete with press attention). Make T shirts or armbands for people who support you to wear on designated days. Make a TON of fliers about how this administration wont let you have a GSA and stick on in every locker in school. Talk to the kids who do your school newspaper, see if they would be willing to do a story about it.
The more attention you draw to yourselfs and your cause that is positive, rational, yet passionate, the better the chaces that this guy will have to relent.
2006-10-09 09:54:10 · answer #1 · answered by dani_kin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First research all the facts, and laws regarding this. Once you have established that it is supported in your state, contact your local school board and request a meeting. Take all your supported information with you so you can "prove" your statements.
You also might look into talking to a reporter from a local news media/tv station who has a person that does stories on these typs of things. Here, we have Marvin Zindler & Akins Army jsut to name two of them. Maybe your local news station has one also. Who knows, they might even want to cover it as a news item.
It might not hurt to also get a poll of students interested in such an alliance. Sometimes numbers speak louder than words.
You and your parents can also contact an attorney regarding the discrimination aspect of it.
Good Luck to you!!!
2006-10-09 14:39:52 · answer #2 · answered by mommakaye 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sorry but the only way to get a club in a school is through the Principal and if you principal is as much of an a.ss as you said then there's no way it will happen unless you go to the school board with the issue
2006-10-08 22:26:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go over the principal's head to the superintendent, and then the school board if you have to...it is illegal for him to threaten a teacher's job for helping you.
2006-10-11 05:12:38 · answer #4 · answered by tcountry69 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋