What the Heck Do I Do With Them?!

Make a list of the meetings you will have and plan a topic per meeting. For example, one day have the topic be Coming Out, another could be How to Deal with Different People in Your Family. The students will have their own discussion about their own stories and tips for each other. After that, have the kids plan on a goal to accomplish before the next meeting. The goal can be something as little as color three safe place signs for homework to bring to next club meeting to something as bigger like preparing a list of ideas to discuss with school admin that could be changed at your school.

Here is a list from our club so feel free to steal!

Coming Out
Typical Conversations with Ignorant People
Talking to Mom vs. Dad vs. Friends vs. Family
Transphobia vs. Homophobia
Changing Pronouns and How to Approach Teachers
How to Stay Informed
Handling the Holidays
College and Scholarships (Yes there are scholarships offered to the LGTBQIA community)
Gay Pride Parade
Handling the Summer
Summer Camps
Volunteer Opportunities

Be warned that some years you'll have very enthusiastic kids and some years you'll have very passive students who will only want to eat cookies and watch episodes of Modern Family. This happens with any and all clubs. They rise and fall in popularity. Hopefully some day it won't be an issue anymore and there won't be a need for the club at all. That's a nice thought.

The kids love having an outlet to talk in a safe place. As their sponsor, you are providing that for them so feel awesome about yourself. You don't have to be a licensed counselor to open the discussion. You are a skilled teacher who cares about kids.

Introducing Safe Place Signs

Safe Place signs are small door signs that teachers can put up on their classroom entrances to give a nod to to the GSA community at your school. It gives an anti-bullying message. You can make very general ones if they are too controversial.

There are many templates out there that you can choose from the internet. I recommend that you print out a variety of them and show them to your principal to help you select one. Expect that there will be opinions against certain symbols that to you or the kids may seem just fine. For example, rainbows(too religious), intertwined gender symbols(too sexual) and equal signs (too political). Signs that we ended up are below. We have the kids doodle and color them in. We originally had rainbows, which were not approved. Surprisingly the equal signs were so that's what we ran with. After polling the teachers they said that they liked the ones that the kids colored in better than the color printed ones.

I would create a box of them and keep it in the teacher's lounge. There will be teachers who will not wish to place them on their door for religious reasons and you need to respect that and not simply place them in teacher's mailboxes. It will make them feel pressured and uncomfortable. For some even though the signs will signify anti bullying, any sign of tolerance and empathy towards the LGTB community means support of the "lifestyle choice" to conservatives. And for some teachers, it's not ok to be gay in their classroom. As much as it doesn’t make any sense for a teacher to not be accepting towards all students, some teachers privately feel uncomfortable around out students.

You will need to expect that there is going to be a population of the school staff especially in a conservative district who will not be supportive but possibly outright against your efforts. Continue to make it clear that the signs are not policy but 100% the teacher's choice and a student led effort to provide the option for their school.

Convey the message to the students to give positive reinforcement and their appreciation to teachers who display them. It's difficult to touch on the subject that some teachers would not wish to post the signs, especially when they are teachers that they really like. It could be pretty heartbreaking. They come to school feeling like their teachers are accepting and inclusive. These particular teachers will honestly feel that they are upholding that because they don't support what they believe is "sinful" and "against god-like" activity.

Have the focus instead be on showing appreciation to the teachers who do have the signs up. Thank you notes and having the kids thank them verbally when they go to class. We have a list of the teachers who have them on their doors on our website with a big Thank You (which is still a little controversial because it highlights in a backwards way which teachers don't have them up).

What to Do If They Say No...

A GSA is considered a student organization. We typically begin to think about these things when a student approaches us looking for sponsors. Teachers don't usually go around looking for extra things to do on top of what they already have. 

The best approach would be to start collecting a small group of kids who are interested in bringing it up to the administration themselves. The students will approach administration on their own while you are their sponsor for the club. You can help them research talking points and ideas that they have for the school. Tell them about the negative stereotypes and practice with them explaining that those stereotypes are not their purpose for the club.

I would send a notice to the principal in charge of clubs and set up a meeting for the kids to speak with them about starting a GSA instead of the kids walking in their office in a group unannounced. This will allow start the role of the sponsor communicating between admin and the students. School admin never want to be surprised on anything happening in their school and they will appreciate the heads up especially if they don't know what a GSA is or if they need to check with others like district admin or the district lawyer.

 

Chances are that the kids will get a yes and you can relax and start planning the first meeting.

If they are told no....(being told that they can only meet off campus is also a no) there are options to go from there.

First, I would go to the admin on your own and get their side and understand their position. It might be a simple misunderstanding. Remember that you are the liaison between the students and admin and it could be a matter of language and wording that the kids didn’t have down. They may have questions for you about what the club is and share their concerns about a parental backlash. (A conservative district means that there will be parental complaints about anything non-traditional or controversial) If they bring up negative stereotypes or concerns about discussing inappropriate topics in class, you could explain that you would feel very uncomfortable about sponsoring a club like that and reinforce that those are just negative stereotypes. Talk with them about topics that you would moderate like anti-bullying and suicide prevention. 

If there is still a solid no... ask to have another meeting with the district's attorney because from the research there's usually a lawsuit that follows because of the Equal Access Act. This is much better than a simple threat of a lawsuit and just walking out of the office. This is a persistent, "I want to work with you on this so that there are no surprises."

The students can contact organizations such as the ACLU who will more than likely begin with a letter to the school admin explaining that if they to do not grant permission, legal action will be taken.

As a reminder.... things do not usually go this far. This hasn't happened in Texas for several years. The most recent one I found, the school allowed the club on "probation" after the letter from the ACLU was sent to the school.

Always remember that this is the students' fight as much as you want to fight for them. You are not going to sue the school yourself. Lawsuits about a student organization need to come from a student. These students are usually backed by an organization supportive of the GSA. However, you can help them find their own resources and help them do their own research on lawsuits about school clubs and organizations.

What are Positive Arguments to Starting a GSA?

These are some effective points that I've been able to bring up and even people who are the most upset about the organization will find common ground with.

1- Let's start with how it's an Anti-Bullying Strategy. Students who are in the LGBT community are underdogs. Underdogs are always a big target for bullying. The research shows that students do not typically report bullying to teachers the older they get so a club where they build a connection to staff members where they have a voice and they are listened to will increase reports of bullying simply because of the increase of trust. My students have not only been communicating instances of bullying but they find it enjoyable to report instances of positive happenings. We even have a thank you note activity if they want to send a particular teacher or administrator a thank you for support towards the LGBT community or an act against bullying as a whole.  "Prevalence statistics on anti-gay bully-ing depict a hostile school environment for youth who identify, or are perceived as, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) their sexual orientation." (Mellin, E.  &  Hinojosa T. March 2011) Anti-Gay Bullying and Suicide: Implications and Resources for  Counselors The Counselor Education Newsletter 5 (26)  pg 1-3

2- Mental health-  Suicide prevention, Self confidence. The statistics are terrible when it comes to the links between suicide and LGBT youth. Research shows that having a connection to a supportive and listening school faculty member makes a difference. Also, making suicide prevention a theme in the club can empower the club members to take it on as an issue to promote. Teach them what some suicide prevention strategies are because they know that friends are usually the first people that can see a red flag when it comes to their own friends being depressed or needing help. We partner up with the district to promote the Trevor Project and To Write Love on Her Arms which are great resources. "Non-heterosexual youth were at an increased risk for suicide, being four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Suicide attempts by non-heterosexual youth are six times more likely to result in injury, poisoning, or overdose that requires medical treatment" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011).

3- GSA sponsors become liaisons for the students to present issues that concern them. The issues that my own students bring up would make them feel very awkward to go directly to the administration about. For example, school restrooms were a concern with the lack of unisex bathrooms. Once I was able to bring it to the attention of the administration while explaining basic issues of a transgendered students or even students with different gender expressions the conversation began. The administration had concerns that were valid and we approached baby steps in the right direction. We were able to locate unisex restrooms that were already in the school but were not really open or publicized to students and we were then able to pass that information on to the kids. There's still work to be done on the issue, however the point is that the issue has been brought up when before it wouldn't have been.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Sexual identity, sex of sexual contacts, and
       health-risk behaviors among students in grades 9–12: youth risk behavior surveillance,
       selected sites, United States, 2001–2009. Surveillance Summaries, 60, 1-133.

Mellin, E. & Hinojosa T. (March 2011) Anti-Gay Bullying and Suicide: Implications and Resources for Counselors The Counselor Education Newsletter 5 (26)  pg 1-3

Arguments Against a GSA that Might Throw You Off

After doing a lot of research on Gay Straight Alliance lawsuits in Texas I feel like I need to slow down and offer the reasons and arguments for these clubs to exist in our schools. What can I say when I try to explain to co-workers and administrators that the club won't be the negative stereotype?


Going over some of the untrue extremes of this negative stereotype first will prepare you from the shock or anger you would have felt without reviewing them.

-I've heard from people that they thought it was a club where kids talk about inappropriate sex acts non-stop.

-I've heard that it's a political club to push and manipulate an agenda through children.

-Some people worry that the existence of the club can turn their kids homosexual or transgender.

There are many more but these are the ones that affected me the most in the beginning.

In your responses or initial explanations include different perspectives. Think like the school counselor and bring up issues of their mental health, self confidence and suicide prevention. Think like the school nurse and think of their physical health and well being.  Think like the administrator about the anti-bullying strategies brought on by the club.

Explain that many of the kids who might join the club do not receive a lot of positivity at home. By simply offering a plate of cookies and letting the students watch Modern Family one afternoon a week makes a club.  If you just say that it provides a "Safe Space", it's not enough to people who are upset by a GSA.
 

GSA Sponsor Family Unite!

This is going to be what I wish I had three years ago. A how to guide and a place where people can ask questions and get answers. Wanting to sponsor a Gay Straight Alliance is tough in conservative areas already. Feeling like you're doing it all by yourself is worse.

You're not alone. You're doing something wonderful for kids. Some days are going to hard. So hard that you'll want to walk out and take a two hour lunch break, then decide to call your assistant and have them cancel your afternoon appointments.... Oh wait....yeah... We're teachers.

So Step One: Breathe. You're not alone. There are a lot of us. Breathing is good. Coffee too.

Step Two: Do research and Start with the Texas GSA Network. Their website is www.texasgsa.org
Contact them and update them on wanting to start the club. They'll send you a huge packet of great resources and information. They'll also send you email updates on events going on that you can forward to your students.

Step Three: Build Your Foundation. After prepping yourself with the information on the GSA Network website, research what you must do to start a club at your school. Your school may have requirements like needing a certain amount of students or approval from the administration. This is the time to talk it up with kids who would be interested in starting the club. The more students and parents you have interested, the easier it will be to start it.

If you are in a conservative area, be prepared for confusion or apprehension. Stay cool and confident knowing that the law is on your side as long as long you are in the public school system. If you are in a private school system instead of a public system there are completely different rules depending on the administration and the school board.

The worst possible answer is a rejection. However, if you get a rejection don't go around kicking and screaming that the school will be sued. I will do a few posts coming up on what to do if you receive a rejection. 

Ok. I'll save more for later but welcome to the GSA Sponsor Family!