Student & GSA's

Jul 28, 2006

From "students' rights" to the "Federal Equal Access Act" - find information to ensure you're being treated equally in your K-12 school.

Organizing Tools

From "starting a GSA" to "building coalitions" - find resources on how to organize in your school.

Program Tools

From "group icebreakers & activities" to the "Day of Silence Project" - find awesome resources on things you can do in your club and school!

The GLSEN Jump-Start

This ongoing resource provides step-by-step activities for starting and strengthening your GSA or similar student-led group.

Starting a GSA, leading or involved in a GSA? Join GLSEN�s Student Organizing online for free resources, news and networking opportunities.

10 Steps Towards Starting a GSA

These basic 10 steps towards starting GSAs have been used by hundreds of youth across the country towards creating safer schools.

Advice from GSA Advisors

Advising a GSA can be a hard job at times. How do you best support the student's efforts? What's your role in the GSA? What's worked for other advisors?

�Always work those lines of communication with teachers and staff. You will, of course, always find colleagues who are �not enlightened�, but I have found wonderful support in the most unlikely people. The Safe Zone Sticker program was the best tool for establishing and maintaining teachers as allies.� - Denise Johnson, Barrington High School (Rhode Island)

�Keep it simple, fun, and light with an activity at the meetings that makes people feel included and involved. Ice breakers, personal check-ins, etc. It's too easy to get carried away and overwhelmed if at every meeting you're trying to organize a big event.� - Cassandra Mortier, Casa Grande High School Petaluma (California)

�Build a supportive network of adults at your school so that students have more contacts/places where they feel safe. Allow student members to drive the mission of the group- they may want to be activists, or they may just need to direct their energies at supporting each other. Even if attendance dwindles, keep publicizing the group and its meetings. Just reading about its existence in the bulletin once a week might be enough to let a GLBT youth know there's someone out there who cares.� - Gayle Brickert-Albrecht, Tucson High Magnet School (Arizona)

�Remember that by definition your job is to advise. You are involved with a student organization and the students can run it. You just give them advice on their ideas. Always remain positive, no matter what happens in your school, society, etc. Set a few big goals for both fun and action for the year and work towards them together. - Sharon Reece Harrell (Massachusetts)

� Try and be as inclusive as possible. Work with other diversity organizations. Try and keep administration, faculty, staff, and students updated as to your activities. Try to work with all people rather than against. We don't attempt anything without discussion from within and outside. This helps others support us even if they don't agree with our strategies because we have already educated them and worked with them as to the reasons for our actions.� - Fletcher McNeill, GLOW of Garrison Forest School (Maryland)

� Take advantage of things already happening in �the community� and surrounding area. Instead of always starting from scratch - look around for things already happening that you can go to as a group and maybe invite others, i.e. Pride Picnics, Parades, PFLAG Presentations and other special events. This way you have to spend less energy doing things already being done and available � and more energy on things that your GSA needs specifically.� - Jerry W. Schearer (West Virginia)

Advice from GSA Student Leaders

Who knows better than those actually leading Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) themselves? Within you can hear directly from students across the country � what works for them? What doesn�t?

�Make members of the GSA feel that they are an integral part of the group.... if people have individual responsibilities they are more likely to show up and be excited every week� - Elizabeth, Hartford High School (Vermont)

�Make your goals clear in the beginning, and stick to those goals. Every once in a while reassess what your events are and make sure they further your group goals.� - Becky (Massachusetts)

�Keep your club active and visible in the community. It is important that the community sees that you are not a 'sex club' and that you are sincere in your desire to strengthen the community as a whole.� - Brianna, Amador High School (California)

�Set group goals together. If group member�s hopes for the group aren't being met, they won't remain active.� - Heather (Virginia)

�Do not try to do too many things at once. Plan what you want to do or hope to achieve and then give it a lot of time to develop. (Party, fundraiser, etc.)� - Jon, El Camino High School (California)

� Have fun at your meetings. Icebreakers or group activities are great ways to get everyone involved and interested. Try to get everyone involved. A group does not work if one or two people dominate. If the group is more fluid and less rigid, everyone is happy. Stick to your schedule. Whether your group is very laid back and hangs out or participates in national campaigns and provides community service, you have some sort of schedule. It could be huge or only involve making intercom announcements before meetings. Either way, I think sticking to the schedule helps you as a leader to stay on task and helps the group to meet its goals� - Anonymous Student

�Stay inclusive and educated. Try to include everyone, but don't be half-assed about it. If you're going to include transgender and/or intersex folk under your banner then know what it means to be doing so and keep conscious of it. Also, remember that including bisexuals means more than just adding them to the list as well, you need to remain conscious of the different issues that each group has.� - Adam Free, 18 (Iowa)

�If you are a leader of a GSA or similar group, one thing you should remember, is to keep the privacy of all involved with the group as a sign of respect (if people want to find out what we talk about they should come to a meeting), another is to allow all people in the group an equal opportunity to express opinions concerns etc. (don�t have just one person take over the entire meeting).� - Anthony R. Colin (California)

�ALWAYS plan your meetings ahead of time; advertise constantly; focus on projects� - Melissa, Analy High School (California)

10 Cool Tips for Finding New Members!

1) Advertise, Advertise, Advertise! Plan a meeting and make posters. Come up with catchy slogans, cool art, and colorful graphics. Bring in your favorite quotes. Posters can not only advertise meetings, but also educate your school and start interesting conversations. Never underestimate the importance of visibility! Many students have noted that their posters have been repeatedly torn down. While most students find that if you continually put the posters up again the people tearing them down will usually stop, some GSAs have started putting statements on the back of posters educating those who tear them down, such as "You have just committed a hate crime". You can also advertise using a Club Bulletin Board. Here you can share information about LGBT issues, current events and upcoming meetings.

2) Bring-A-Friend Day Every member of the GSA brings a friend to the meeting. This can help getting new people involved in the group while changing people's perceptions about what the group is and destroy some stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity.

3) Open Meeting w/ Guest Speaker Many groups invite speakers or guest from local LGBT or diversity community groups to discuss different issues. Speakers may be invited for an open meeting or an administrative-approved, school-wide event. When advertised, either can bring new people to the group. Common community groups that have been invited include GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) Chapters, PFLAG (Parent's, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays) Chapters, the local ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), local LGBT Community Centers and area Bisexual and Transgender groups.

4) School Newspaper An editorial, letter to the editor or notice in the school newspaper can be a great way to let other students know about what's going on in your club and what your club is about.

5) Sign In Sheets Having sign-in sheets allows students to give information about who they are and how you can contact them (i.e.; email, phone, etc) about upcoming meetings. NOTE: Be sure that you ask on your sheets only for information where it's safe to contact them.

6) Club Share Work with other school clubs about having shared events. Each club can take turns holding a special open event and other clubs can go as a group to support it and learn more about that club. This is a great way to build connections with other clubs, while reaching students with your information.

7) Movie Time Lots of people like good movies. Showing a movie with an LGBT-related theme can be a great way to draw people in. Afterwards, hold an open discussion about the movie that ties into the issues concerning the GSA. This allows visitors to see what your group is about, while being able to feel apart of the discussion and topics at hand. Need help finding LGBT movies, books or curriculum? Visit GLSEN's Bookstore through the link at the top of this page.

8) Tabling Setting up an information table about your GSA can be a great way to give out information on your club, it's issues and current events. Some schools have a Club Fair where you can table, and others allow school clubs to set up during school lunch in the cafeteria.

9) Provide Snacks It's always nice to have some snacks available, and this is a great way to encourage people to come by - especially if meeting after school or during a lunch period.

10) You're Invited! Above all the advertising, snacks and events you pull to get people coming to your meetings, the most effective and easiest way is to simply ask! Asking someone in person, 1-on-1, provides you the opportunity to tell the person why they should come, what's happening and how important they're support of the club is. To help with this you can make a piece of paper with multiple sections on it that say something like "You're Invited! GSA, Meeting Time & Place! Take 1 and Pass It On!" As you pass this to your friend tear off one of the sections and ask them to "Take 1 and Pass It On!" This can help break the ice and start a GSA conversation.

10 Awesome GSA Activities and Icebreakers 1) Common Ground - Source: Kerry Ashforth Students and faculty advisors stand in a circle. One person begins by saying, "I've got a younger sister," or some other statement that is true for them. Everyone for whom this is also true steps into the center of the circle. Everyone who doesn't have a younger sister stays on the outside. You can always choose not to step into the circle. The game often brings up personal and important issues that students may not want to discuss in a more formal setting. This also allows us to recognize our differences and similarities.

2) Gender Stereotypes - Source: Various Trace a male and a female body on butcher paper, then have a free-for-all where everyone writes/expresses as many gender stereotypes as they can think of, and place those stereotypes on the bodies where they would apply (i.e. "boys are smart at math" would be placed on the head of the male body). From here, you can talk about how gender stereotypes and traits relate to perceptions about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people - as well as how these stereotypes limit our possibilities, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. These exercises can also be done using stereotypes of gay men and lesbians - helping us to recognize that everyone has different traits that don't define our sexual orientation or gender.

3) Heterosexism in the Media - Source: Various Bring in popular, mainstream magazines or other forms of media, and cut out images you perceive to be heterosexist. Explain what you think heterosexism is and how it affects people. This can be an eye-opening experience for those who have never looked at how media plays a part in the formation of our identity. With all the images you collect, your GSA can make a collage or exhibit that examines heterosexism. To go a step further, bring in LGBT publications, and make posters of images that are not heterosexist. Show lots of different sexual orientations, genders and gender identities exhibiting the spectrum of diversity that is society. You can compare the posters you make, and even display them somewhere in your school, like in the library or a display case. You might include some statements about what heterosexism is and how it affects all of us, especially LGBT youth.

4) Three Chair Listening Exercise - Source: Various Three Chairs are set up, the outer two turned toward the inner one. The chair on the left holds the position of the "specialist"; the middle chair, the "listener"; and the right chairs the "real story". The specialist person and the real story person talk to the listener simultaneously, while the listener tries to listen and respond to both, as best they can. The two talkers are competing for the listener's attention, and the goal is for the listener to see which talker holds their attention more. The Specialist talks as if they're a doctor or clergyman or professional in some field related to LGBT youth and issues in the schools. He or she may site statistics, give medical information, etc. The Real Story person is the one who speaks as if they're someone you met on the street. He or she can tell a true story from their life or make up a story related to the experiences of LGBT youth in the schools. The story should be "personal". When playing with more than three people, let each trio act for two minutes and then call time. The Real Story person then leaves the trio, and the other two players move into the seats to their left (the Listener to the Real Story Chair and the Specialist to the Listener chair). The next player in line takes the chair of the Specialist. This is a good exercise for gagging your own personal feelings. After the game has been played for a while, your group can discuss which "chair" they found themselves listening and responding to more attentively. You can then discuss how different techniques are used to portray LGBT persons in different lights. You can discuss how your own listening style might make you more apt to internalize information presented according to one approach or the other.

5) Concentric Circles, Inner/Outer Circles - Source: Jason Fleetwood-Boldt. This exercise works great to open dialog. Recommended 6-8 people, works best with 20 or more. (Must be an even number). Lets people talk in pairs. Have people count off by twos (1, 2, 1, 2...). Tell the ones to make an inner circle and the twos to make an outer circle. The inner circle should face outward and the outer circle should face inward, each person having a partner in the opposite circle. The facilitator instructs that she will ask a question and the outer circle is to talk for one minute as the inner circle listens. After the minute is up, the inner circle answers the same question. Then the outer circle moves clockwise two people over, so everyone has a new partner. A new question is asked of the outer, then inner, circles. When finished, the participants should talk in large group about what kinds of things came up. If it is a group that doesn't know one another, you can have them introduce themselves to their partners before they begin answering the question asked.

Sample Questions to ask are: Growing up, what were all of the names (positive, negative, neutral) that you heard related to gays, lesbians, and bisexuals? Growing up, what were some of the stereotypes you heard about lesbians, gays, and bisexuals? What were some of the things you heard about these groups growing up that you have come to find out are not true?

6) Culture Walk - Source: Kerry Ashforth There are one or two mediators, and they begin by asking a group of people, for example, women, to move to one side of the room. The people who then haven't identified as women ask questions, and the women give them answers. Then the women get to say what they'd like other people to know about them. You don't have to "talk" or "walk".

7) Dictionary - Source: Linda Boldt. A fun word game for groups of four or more. Requires a good dictionary (preferably a large one, but it needn't be unabridged), pens, paper. Each round: A player is chosen to be the dictionary. (At the next round, someone else is the dictionary) That person chooses an unfamiliar word in the dictionary and says it outloud. If anyone in the room knows what the word is, they must say so (this is on an honor code). Everyone writes down a fake definition-- but one that sounds like it could be the real definition (remember-- the players don't really know what the word means) except for the person who selected the word-- who writes down the real definition. On each card the players should write their definition along with their name. The dictionary person collects all the papers and reads them aloud, but doesn't read whose definition it is. Once all the definitions have been read twice, they are read a third time and everyone votes one which they think is the real definition. If you vote for the correct definition, you get a point. If someone else votes for your definition, you get a point. (If you vote for the wrong one there is no penalty.)

8) Name That Person - Source: Ann-Bevan Hollis; Adapted by Chris Tuttle. Entertainment game with teams; for fun; too long to be an ice-breaker Materials: Pencils/pens (1 for each person), paper, hat or box for holding names.

SETUP: Teams of 4-8 people work best (teams of 4-5 are most preferable). Maximum of four teams total. Each person playing is instructed to write at least five names and rip off each one. (That is, each person should put five scraps of paper into the hat, each scrap with one name on it.) The names can be anyone related to LGBT issues (pro or con) - including politicians, sports players, actors/actresses, community leaders, performers, people from history.

Rules for choosing names: (1) More obscure names are better. Easy to identify names are not at much fun. IMPORTANT: Tell no one what names you put in, if you do, those names can't be used. (2) The name must be common. While it is not necessary for everybody playing to know who you are talking about, at least a few must. Unless otherwise decided, co-workers, friends, teachers, family, etc are not allowed.

Rules of Play: Player to start grabs a name out of the hat and proceeds to describe that person or name to her teammates in the first person. For example, if her clue were Bill Clinton, she could say as president of the United States I signed into law the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. The teammates call out any name they think it may be. She may not say any part of the name unless her teammates have already called out that part. For example, if the clue was Bill Bradley, you can't say: "Rhymes with 'key'" because sound "ey" is written on the paper. You may, however, describe what it rhymes with by saying "Rhymes with that metal thing you stick in a lock to open a door...". When someone in the group guesses correctly, she chooses another name. She has exactly one minute to get her team to guess as many names as possible. For each name they guess, the team gets one point. If a team gets stuck on a name and the time expires in the middle of a name, that name must be passed on to the next team. You may not reject a name for any reason whatsoever. Only if one name goes through all the teams without being guess can it be discarded, and the team who first started with it gets one point for it. Team members who do the reading rotate each time around. Play continues until hat is emptied.

9) Cultural/Identity Linking - Source: BiGLTYNY Leadership Cultural Experiment. Everyone is instructed to close their eyes and look into the "inner mirror of them". Examine what culture means to you and what you think of as your own cultural identity. Look for the cultural identities you claim and, when you are ready, open your eyes and look around the room. Without talking, find someone who you think shares a cultural identity with you. Approach that person and link hand. If you do not think that person shares a common cultural identity, you may refuse to link hands. If someone offers his or her hand to you, try to find a cultural commonality. Link hands only if you think you have found one. Remember, no talking. Once everyone is linked, stand the group in one large circle, and go around and answer the questions "why did you offer your hand to someone you linked to, and why did you accept/refuse someone's hand?" Other questions: How did it feel to assume someone's cultural identity? Were you always correct? Was it easy to find a cultural connecting? How did it feel to not make a link? Note: The word culture is use to keep this activity open-ended. People often interpret "culture" as race, ethnicity, religion, color, queerness, gender, gender identity, clothing, multi-racial/ethnical identity, non-conforming/represented race, ethnicity, etc. Additional Note: You can expand on this game if everyone ends in a large pretzel, or knot - see game #10.

10) Pretzel, Knots - Source: various. Group building cooperation game. Everyone stands in a circle. Everyone puts his right hand forward into the middle and grabs the right hand of someone. Then, take your left and hand grab the left hand of someone else in the circle. Thus, with your right hand you are attached to one person's right hand, and your left hand is attached to someone else's left hand. You are all now in a tangled ring of bodies. Without letting go, untangle yourselves. You may switch positions of your hands, but do not break the ring. Sometimes the group is tangled in one big loop, but sometimes it is tangled in several smaller ones.

20 Ways Your GSA Can Rock The World! Twenty organizing opportunities to create change in your school community.

Looking for things your GSA can do to create safer, more accepting schools? Here's a short run down, with descriptions of each below, on things different GSAs have done in schools across the country.

1.Create a Diverse School Library

2.Creating Safe Spaces 3.Day of Silence 4.Documentary of a Student's Life

5.Document School Heterosexism or Gender Bias

6.Diversity Day

7.Diversity Panels

8.Editorials

9.Educational "Theme Months"

10.Guest Speaker Meeting

11.Handouts & Information Boards

12.LGBT Alumni go Back-to-School

13.Marching with Pride

14.Non-discrimination & Anti-harassment Policies

15.Organize a Movie Event

16.Outreach to Middle Schools

17.Family Night

18.Queering the Curriculum

19.School Climate Survey

20.Teach the Teachers