Introduction      GSA Network Staff      Youth Council      Governing Board      Jobs/Internships      FAQ Introduction  Mission Statement Gay-Straight Alliance Network is a youth leadership organization that connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and community resources. Through peer support, leadership development, and training, GSA Network supports young people in starting, strengthening, and sustaining GSAs and builds the capacity of GSAs to:  1. create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppressions,  2. educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues, and  3. fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.    History GSA Network was founded in 1998 to empower youth activists to start Gay-Straight Alliance clubs and fight homophobia and transphobia in schools. GSA Network began working with 40 GSA clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1998-99 school year. The organization quickly expanded and by 2001 GSA Network became a statewide organization. In the past ten years, GSA Network has: • grown the network of GSA clubs in California from 40 clubs to over 650 clubs (representing nearly 50% of the state's high schools); • provided training and support to over 8,000 youth activists and organizers across the state; • played a leadership role in grassroots organizing for the passage of ground-breaking, statewide legislation, AB 537: The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; • achieved a critical victory as plaintiff in the first lawsuit filed under AB 537; the three-year settlement agreement required the Visalia schools to enact sweeping reforms including mandatory teacher and student trainings. GSAs draw on the courage of LGBT youth and the commitment of straight allies working in partnership to build bridges, change school climates, and reform school policies. Strong, well-supported GSAs can have a major impact on the education environment and possess the power to transform individuals, school cultures, and educational institutions. All of our work with students focuses on leadership development and activism that prioritizes building alliances not only across sexual orientation and gender identity lines, but also across race, ethnicity, and class lines, and our resources and trainings are designed to facilitate alliance-building. Our programs benefit our constituents in three critical ways: 1. Ending Isolation through Building GSAs: Our GSA support programs help students start school-based GSAs, clubs that have proven to be vital support systems or "safe zones" for enhancing the well being of youth suffering from isolation, harassment, discrimination, and violence. 2. Developing Leaders: Our networking and leadership training programs develop youth leaders capable of effecting positive change in their schools and communities. 3. Making Schools Safer: We help student organizers learn how to educate teachers and student peers to reduce slurs and work with the school administration to implement school policies that prevent harassment and violence.   Our overall strategy for fighting homophobia and transphobia in schools is to work with grassroots, youth-led groups, and GSAs, empowering them to educate their school communities, advocate for just policies that protect lgbtq youth from harassment and violence, and organize in coalition with other youth groups across identity lines to address broader issues of oppression. Our organization is led by youth because we believe that youth have the power to create solutions and lead the fight against homophobia and transphobia. Representatives from GSAs around California serve on the organization's Youth Councils in Northern California, the Central Valley, and Southern California. Youth Council members make decisions about GSA Network's programs, plan and present at conferences, and lead trainings such as our regional GSA Leadership Trainings and summer GSA Activist Camps. Representatives from each Youth Council serve on the GSA Network Governing Board.  In October 1998, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network became a fiscally sponsored project of The Tides Center which gave us status as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and allows us to receive tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. In 2008, GSA Network became incorporated as its own 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Carolyn Laub is the founder and director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. She writes, "I wanted to start this organization, not only because I understand from personal experience how empowering it is to fight back against homophobia and transphobia, but also because I believe that LGBTQ and straight ally youth are leading an emerging youth movement--community-driven with multi-issue political organizing happening across the lines of race, socio-economic status, gender, and sexual orientation, which have been obstacles in other social justice movements." Top of Page GSA Network Staff T. Aaron Hans, Advocacy Program Manager T. Aaron Hans joins the GSA Network after 6 years of teaching at California State University Monterey Bay. An FTM genderqueer activist who hails from the East coast, T. Aaron has previously served as Program Director of the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center (San Jose, CA) and Youth Director of the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL; Washington DC). T. Aaron has a long history of education and advocacy for LGBTQ communities having worked with anti-violence groups, emergency personnel (Fire, Police, and EMS), HIV/AIDS organizations, colleges and universities to ensure inclusion, recognition, and safety of LGBT people. T. Aaron has degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from Pennsylvania State University and Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts and enjoys using that training to lead the advocacy programs of the GSA Network. An avid sea kayaker,   sci-fi enthusiast, and self-described  Mac addict,  T. Aaron lives in the bay area with partner Tania Mitchell. Kiely Hosmon, Northern California Program Coordinator Kiely is extremely excited to be back at the GSA Network and to work with all the fabulous youth leaders. She has previous experience in anti-racist, feminist, and queer organizing from her high school and college days. In fact, Kiely, in 2001, founded her GSA at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, CA. Kiely received her BA from UC Santa Barbara in Womyn's Studies and LGBTQ Studies and her MA from SFSU in Womyn Studies. Her MA thesis was titled "That Doesn't Happen Here": Addressing Racism in California Gay-Straight Alliances. Kiely has no desire to go back to grad school (ever!) and is perfectly happy working with LGBTQA youth on a daily basis. In her spare time she plays middle line-backer in the SF Women's Football League and will take you down. Carolyn Laub, Executive Director Carolyn Laub is the Founder and Executive Director of Gay-Straight Alliance Network. Carolyn received a 4-year fellowship from the Echoing Green Foundation in 1999 that helped launch GSA Network. In 2000, she was honored as one of the first U.S. recipients of the international Ashoka Fellowship, a 3-year fellowship that supports her work as a social entrepreneur. Carolyn was a leader of the grassroots youth effort to pass the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 (AB 537), an historic law that prohibits discrimination based on actual and perceived sexual orientation and gender identity in California schools. She co-founded the Make It Real Project, a youth-led statewide initiative to implement AB 537. In 2001, Carolyn served on the California Department of Education's AB 537 Advisory Task Force. In 2002, she co-founded the California Safe Schools Coalition, which is dedicated to the full implementation of AB 537. Carolyn has co-led the coalition since its inception and helped author the coalition's groundbreaking report, Safe Place to Learn: Consequences of Harassment Based on Actual or Perceived Sexual Orientation and Gender Non-Conformity and Steps for Making Schools Safer. Prior to starting GSA Network, in 1997, Carolyn created Outlet, a support program for LGBTQQ youth living on the San Francisco peninsula. Additionally, Carolyn was the Director of the AIDS Prevention Program at the Mid-Peninsula YWCA where she developed innovative HIV prevention curriculum and published her research documenting the link between gender ideologies and adolescent sexual risk-taking behavior. She currently serves on the Board of the Transgender Law Center. Previously, she has served on the Board of Directors of Bay Area Young Positives, KQED's Community Advisory Panel, and Stanford Pride, the Stanford University LGBTQQI alumni club. Carolyn graduated from Stanford University in 1995 with a BA in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on the social construction of race, gender, and sexual orientation in the U.S. Robin McGehee, Central Valley Program Coordinator Robin McGehee, a transplant from Jackson, Mississippi, has focused her activism around issues of religious persecution. Ms. McGehee received her M.A. in Speech Communication from California State University, Fresno. She is an instructor at College of the Sequoias and believes strongly that "When we Speak, We Shape the World!" At COS, one of her duties include, serving as Pride Club advisor for a student group which focuses on mentoring students to "Speak Out" and shape the world in a positive way. In 2001, McGehee was honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. award for her work with Youth Empowerment. She has served as Outreach Director for Fresno REEL Pride for two years and now works as their Development Director handling sponsorships and grant proposals. As Outreach Director she helped raise funds for community outreach projects, including REEL Pride in the Arts -- a student film contest. She is the chair of the Committee on Reconciliation at Wesley United Methodist Church and is currently working on a community activist project, "Love Welcomes All" to address the debate around sexuality and spirituality. In her free time she enjoys traveling and spending time with her partner, 3 year old son, Sebastian and newley arrived daughter Jackson. Daniel Solis , Southern California Program Coordinator Daniel E. Solis is a native of Los Angeles, California. As the gay son of Salvadorena/o immigrants, Daniel has long been aware of the complicated nature of struggles for justice. Coming out in high school, Daniel helped to co-found the first Gay Straight Alliance at his school and successfully worked to reduce homophobia in teachers, administrators and students. Building on these early experiences in organizing, Daniel became active in anti-war and anti-racism organizing during college. Using a creative mix of protests, negotiations, and theater, Daniel led a coalition of students and faculty to force Antioch College to adopt a comprehensive Racial Discrimination Prevention Policy, the first step in successfully creating an anti-racist institution. Upon his return to Los Angeles from Ohio, Daniel has focused his work on supporting youth of color in their educational development and empowerment. He has worked with Central American high school students at Belmont and Polytechnic High Schools in preparing them for successful lives after high school, as well as providing enriching educational experiences to Latina/o middle school students in the northeast San Fernando Valley. Recently, Daniel worked to increase youth participation in electoral politics by organizing voter registration drives and voter education campaigns in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Daniel is excited to be working with the GSA Network in strengthening and expanding the diverse activism of queer youth in Southern California. Daniel received his B.A. in Cultural and Interdisciplinary Studies from Antioch College in 2006. He is currently completing his M.A. in History with a concentration in American Studies from Claremont Graduate University. 2007 Interns Resi Nickl, Intern Born and raised in Austria, on the other side of the big pond, Resi has always dreamt of going to San Francisco (with flowers in her hair). She decided, given the strict immigration policies, to leave the flowers at home and head out to SF to do an internship at the GSA Network, a fantastic organization she had found on the Internet and had been immediately taken with. She studies translation and interpreting (German, English, Spanish) at the university in her hometown Graz, where she is active member of the LGBT Student Association, organizing youth groups and workshops. Although enjoying it a lot, she hopes to finish university as soon as possible in order to be reunited with her partner (Cristina) in Barcelona, Spain. Resi loves music (strumming around on the piano), traveling, reading and getting to know the city of San Francisco and its great people. Lea Gee-Tong, Intern Born and raised in the East Bay, Lea Gee-Tong will be a high school junior at Marin Academy (MA) in the fall. At MA she is the co-leader of the Gay Straight Alliance and a member of the school's group of Student Leaders of Equity and Identity Clubs. She has been involved in a number of social justice campaigns and community awareness events, such as World AIDS Day, Save Darfur Week, the Conference on Democracy, and protests against local immigration raids. Last year she also facilitated a workshop on heterosexism at the school's first annual diversity conference, Uncensored: Conversations We're Not Having. She hopes for the day when every person in the world can go to sleep at night feeling warm and happy. Lea loves all music- primarily playing flute and saxophone in her school's World Music/Jazz program as well as in a youth klezmer band on weekends. In addition to laughing and spending free time with friends and family, she admits to being sadly addicted to her iPod and bad TV reality shows! Sasha Alexander Goldberg , Intern Sasha Alexander is a mixed race (Black South Asian) queer transmale organizer hailing from the Jersey/Philly area. Sasha has spent a great deal of his organizing experience working on mutli-oppression facilitation, youth organizing, and LGBTQA issues. After founding and organizing his high schools’ Gay Straight Alliance, and an anonymous LGBTQ support group, Sasha got involved with GLSEN where he was a student organizer, the New Jersey Day of Silence Coordinator, and a part of GLSENS Student of Color Organizers, Teaching Respect for All, and Training of Trainers Conferences. Sasha is in his senior year at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts where he is primarily focused on exploring personal/political identities through video, ethnography, and mixed media. While at college Sasha has been involved with Queer People of Color/International, the Trans Student Alliance, Students of Under Represented Cultures and Ethnicities: Mixed Heritage, the Queer Community Alliance, the Hip Hop Collective, and Video Vanguards, a program for youth of color and their allies to produce socially conscious videos. When he’s not organizing Sasha enjoys making beats, being a gym freak, time with his boo, and his revolutionary family. Indu Jaikumar , Intern Indu was born and raised in Orange County, California. Growing up in a very conservative suburb of Southern California she had limited exposure to LGBTQ. After moving to Santa Cruz to attend the University of California Santa Cruz she became more aware of homophobia and transphobia. A Psychology major, she plans to begin a thesis in the topic of gender identity development. Joining the GSA Network as an Intern is Indu’s first step in becoming a great straight ally, and educator to others. She hopes to one day be able to better bridge the gap between homophobic/transphobic heterosexuals and LGBTQ by being a positive straight-ally role model for youth and adults. She would eventually like to get her PhD in Psychology with a focus in gender identity. While Indu’s not studying, or preparing applications for PhD programs, she can be found singing as loud as she can in the car, or just about anywhere with her best friend, cooking up a new exotic cuisine, and taking in some of “hippie” culture while she finishes up her last year as an undergad in Santa Cruz. Mairead Burke, Intern Mairead was born in State College, PA, moved to San Diego 11 years later, and finally ended up in the Bay Area in 2003 to pursue a degree in Communication with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at Santa Clara University. At SCU Mairead is actively involved with a number of groups including Gays and Straights Promoting Education and Diversity (GASPED), Labor Action Committee, Students Together Organizing for Peace (STOP), Feminists United, Every 2 Minutes, the Santa Clara Community Action Program (SCCAP), and Alpha Phi. After graduation Mairead will be spending a year volunteering with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in the southern United States. When she’s not running from meetings to class to more meetings, commuting to GSA Network, or sleeping she enjoys spending time with her 10 amazing housemates, frequent catnaps, and eating every kind of food imaginable. Governing Board Allan Acevedo Thalia Arenas Barak Ben-Gal John Campbell Wendy Hill Lisa Hurwitz Whitney Kessell Michael Mahoney Tony Meyer Chelsey Ramirez Scott Sansone Juliana Spector Top of Page Youth Council The Youth Council is responsible for making decisions about and guiding the program activities of the GSA Network. They set goals and establish priorities for the work of our organization. Youth Council members also represent the needs of GSAs and youth activists from the geographic region of California they represent.  The requirements for joining the Youth Council include: 1. Involved in a GSA or LGBTQ-youth related group in your school. 2. Willing to commit to serve on the Youth Council for one year. 3. Interested in developing and suggesting ideas to strengthen GSAs and the GSA Network. 4. Committed to creating change for LGBTQ youth and fighting homophobia in schools.  The GSA Network is accepting applications for new Youth Council members. Apply Online!   Northern California Youth Council Megan Becker, Prospects HS Bit Bowden, Berkeley HS Shane Conover-Robertson, Westmont HS Janessa Cooks, San Lorenzo HS Dwyn Davis, Notre Dame Belmont HS Alli De Hoog, Wesmont HS Eden Foley, Albany HS Maggie Gorelick, Tamalpais HS Jacob Graham Jr., Concord HS Daniel Hadley, Merril F. West HS Raul Hernandez, Ida B. Wells HS Jeremy Huston, Bishop O'Dowd HS Geraldine Jointer, Encinal HS Withney Kessell, Davinci HS Andrew Landecho, Watsonville HS Connor Morrison, Antioch HS D Sladen, Newark HS Emma Sutton, Benicia HS and Diablo Valley College Mike Vogel, Alahambra HS Rose Cohen Westbrooke, Albany HS Del'Risha White, Middle College HS Central California Youth Council Matt Allen, West Park Charter HS Thalia Arenas, Madera HS Martha Caballero, Madera HS Randy Good, Central West HS Andrea Helmns, Sierra HS Jorge Hernandez, Central West HS Karen Juarez, Parlier HS Alisia Lopez, Madera HS Chris Martinez, Central Valley Christian Academy Jimmy Perez, Parlier HS Miranda Quintana, Parlier HS Jesse Rosales, Sunnyside HS Blayke Smith, Clovis HS Claudia Villapando, Madera HS Clint Wells, Bullard HS Southern California Youth Council Allan Acevedo, Hilltop HS Sarah Kukuchek, Scripps Ranch HS Kai Lopes, Culver City HS Lisa Hurwitz, Milken Community HS TJ Meyer, Mission Viejo HS Alex Possner, South Pasadena HS Jocelyn Miller, Mira Costa HS Tina Yang, Arcadia HS Courtney Knight, Marina HS Mattias Lehman, Brentwood HS Kevin Park, Fairfax HS Desiree Trevino, Garfield HS Michelle Kim, Rancho Bernardo HS Daniel McIntrye, Cortez Hill Academy Emily Jira, Mira Costa HS Phillip Knight, El Segundo HS Albert Gomez, Garfield HS Jennifer Ehrenreich, Pacific HS Cindy Salcedo, Bakersfield HS   Top of Page Job and Internship Openings GSA Network currently has the following job and internship openings: Program Director: GSA Network seeks to hire a Program Director to manage its growing program portfolio. We are looking for someone with demonstrated program leadership experience who can manage a team of organizers and project staff. The Program Director should have the ability to lead a team to achieve program goals with creativity and resourcefulness. The Program Director will be responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing, staffing and evaluating GSA Network’s programs. The Program Director will supervise staff, volunteers, and interns; manage campaign development; represent GSA Network in coalitions and in other the community settings; develop strategic collaborations; manage grant objectives; and assist with fund raising by writing portions of grants and relevant reports. Download the job description. National Program Manager: Over the past three years, GSA Network has embarked on an exciting national expansion. GSA Network’s national program furthers the organization’s mission by expanding its unique youth-driven, state-based program model nationally ­ adding an important voice to the LGBT, safe schools, and social justice movements. The National Program Manager is responsible for the development and management of GSA Network’s national programs, including supporting the core current operations of the National Association of GSA Networks, developing and coordinating trainings for other state-level GSA networks, and helping to replicate the GSA Network model in other states. Download the job description. Administrative Manager: GSA Network is looking to hire an Administrative Manager, based in San Francisco, who will be responsible for managing the administrative systems at GSA Network, as well as supporting program and fund development activities. A demonstrated passion for LGBTQ youth leadership and empowerment, an understanding of youth culture, and commitment to social change is required for all positions at GSA Network. Download the job description. Interns: GSA Network is looking for interns, which are non-paid positions. As an intern, you will gain hands-on experience working for California's most dynamic LGBTQ youth-driven organization. You will gain invaluable insight about a mid-sized non-profit as well as GSA Network's particular organizational and organizing model. You will also learn a broad range of skills while providing program and/or administrative support. This is a great way to gain hands-on experience, build up your resume, and possibly get college credits. You may do a variety of tasks including outreach and technical assistance to high school and middle school GSAs, curriculum development, resource sheets and program material development, working on media or press work lobbying and policy support, event planning, individual donor fundraising, database systems and and many other exciting activities. Interns also have the option to participate in staff meetings thus ensuring their voices are heard and their opinions are valued. Each intern will have a supervisor who will be responsible for providing support, an evaluation, and a letter of recommendation upon the conclusion of the internship. For more information contact carolyn@gsanetwork.org or call Carolyn @ 415-552-4229. Top of Page HOME If you have any questions about Gay-Straight Alliances or need support organizing against homophobia and transphobia in your school, contact Gay-Straight Alliance Network