Whats the best way to start a GSA at my school?

Question

me and my friend are trying to start one but we have no idea where to start. at the moment we have alot of people who are supporting it and would want to join if we get it running....any ideas

Answer 1

1. Follow Guidelines:
Establish a GSA the same way you would establish any other group or club. Look in your Student Handbook for the rules at your school. This may include getting permission from an administrator, finding an advisor, and/or writing a constitution.

2. Find a Faculty Advisor:
Find a teacher or staff member whom you think would be supportive or who has already shown themselves to be an ally around sexual orientation issues. It could be a teacher, counselor, nurse, or librarian.

3. Inform Administration of Your Plans:
Tell administrators what you are doing right away. It can be very helpful to have an administrator on your side. They can work as liaisons on your behalf with other teachers, parent groups, community members, and the school board. If an administrator is resistant to the GSA, let them know that forming a GSA club is protected under the Federal Equal Access Act.

4. Inform Guidance Counselors and Social Workers About The Group:
These individuals may know students who would be interested in attending the group.

5. Pick a Meeting Place:
You may want to find a meeting place which is off the beaten track at school and offers some level of privacy or confidentiality.

6. Advertise:
Figure out the best way to advertise at your school. It may be a combination of school bulletin announcements, flyers, and word-of-mouth. If your flyers are defaced or torn down, do not be discouraged. Keep putting them back up. Eventually, whoever is tearing them down will give up.
Besides, advertising for your group and having words up such as "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning" or "end homophobia" or "discuss sexual orientation" can be part of educating the school and can actually make other students feel safer -- even if they never attend a single meeting.

7. Get Food:
This one is kind of obvious. People always come to meetings when you provide food!

8. Hold Your Meeting!
You may want to start out with a discussion about why people feel having this group is important. You can also brainstorm things your club would like to do this year.

9. Establish Ground Rules:
Many groups have ground rules in order to insure that group discussions are safe, confidential, and respectful. Many groups have a ground rule that no assumptions or labels are used about a group member's sexual orientation. This can help make straight allies feel comfortable about attending the club.

10. Plan For The Future:
Develop an action plan. Brainstorm activities. Set goals for what you want to work towards. Contact Gay-Straight Alliance Network in order to get connected to all of the other GSAs, get supported, and learn about what else is going on in the community.

♂♂

Answer 2

I helped start one this past year actually, and so you know, it takes not only a lot of work, but a lot of permission.

You have to make sure that the administrators at your school are cool with the idea, and you'll need to get several teachers at your school to back you up and sign as sponsers before approaching the administrators.

Then, you need to get information from GSA's official website and get any other things involving the GSA straightened out.

Answer 3

In a Catholic college, it could be smart to downplay the gay/in the present day ingredient, and concentration greater on spreading and advertising equality and tolerance. it particularly is greater of what the GSA at my severe college makes a speciality of. at the instant, they are advertising $a million wristbands and that they have potluck meets. it is not an excellent number of the intense themes which you point out above (i.e. not likely plenty intercourse or kin talk)

Answer 4

Put together a petition and have as many people sign as possible (those that want a GSA group as well) and see how things go. I mean, the majority typically gets their way, so good luck =D

Answer 5

Sounds cool.
Go to the school office staff and tell them what you want to do and they should help you out.
You will have to have meetings and stuff set up so some of you, or maybe the school staff will have to be like leadership in this thing.
Start planning it out so that you don't look unprepared.
Good Luck

Answer 6

I agree with EVERYTHING Tegarst says.........
My foster daughter started a movement in her middle school by wearing a " Gay, fine by me" t-shirt to school, and was asked to turn it inside out as it was " offensive".
One phone call to a local pride organization was all it took.

Answer 7

Oh wow. My friend and I are trying to do that. I'm bi (maybe gay) and my friend is bi.

We both are going to propose this to our Vice Principal and he is gay himself. So that's a huge plus.

If we get it past him, you go to the Principal and then to the Counselor and they will go over possible procedures and then it takes off from there. I think it's awesome that you do that.

Answer 8

check with your school authorities first, some schools forbid ANY clubs or societies based on sex or sexual orientation.