FAQs about GSA Network
Gay-Straight Alliance Network is an organization that works with GSA clubs across the state of California, and all of our programs and services are geared toward a California audience. However, the majority of our online resources are written generally and are meant to be used by any GSA, regardless of location - we encourage GSAs outside of California to use the materials on our website! Here are some of the questions we hear most often from Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in other states: How do I start a GSA? Read over the steps to starting a GSA. We also have many other resources that will be helpful to your club once you've gotten started. See a listing of our online resource sheets.
There is a Federal law, called the Equal Access Act, that says that if a school allows any student-initiated, non-curricular clubs to meet, it must allow all student-initiated, non-curricular clubs to meet. The Supreme Court has broadly interpreted a "non-curricular" group to mean "any student group that does not directly relate to the body of courses offered by the school." If you follow all of the same processes and regulations in place for the formation of any other non-curricular club at your school, your GSA should be protected by the Equal Access Act. Links about the Federal Access Act: General survey of issues relating to the Equal Access Act, from Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund: www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/pages/documents/record?record=78 Letter from the American Civil Liberties Union, encouraging school officials to follow the Equal Access Act and allow Gay-Straight Alliances: http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/youth/11863res20030611.html To get more information about your rights under the Equal Access Act, you can call either one of these organizations for free legal advice:
GSA Network does not have any contact information for GSA clubs outside of California. However, you can visit www.glsen.org/templates/student/index.html?section=49 for an online directory of Gay-Straight Alliances around the country. This site is sponsored by Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and includes listings for GSAs that have registered with their Student Organizing project.
Can college-level GSAs access resources and services from GSA Network? College GSAs in California are welcome to register with us and join our mailing list. You can also register for our weekly e-mail newsletter, GSA Network News, which includes announcements and resources of interest to GSA members and supporters across the state. Sign up for our weekly email list. Although all of our programs and materials are designed for a primarily high school and middle school-aged audience, college students are welcome to attend events such as the OHMY conference and our regional leadership trainings - for more info about these and other events, sign up for GSA Network News. However, we ask that our older youth participants be conscious of age dynamics and respect that our programs are designed to address the particular needs and experiences of middle school and high school GSA organizers.
GSA Network does not specifically provide networking services for college-level GSAs. If you're looking to connect with other clubs on campuses in your area, you should look up contact info for student organizations through each school. Some cities and/or regions do have established networks of college-level LGBTQQ activists, such as the Queer College Coalition in Southern California - QueerCC@yahoogroups.com - you should do a web search to see if this kind of group exists in your area.
In California, publicly-funded colleges and universities must comply with the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 (AB 537), which bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as sex, ethnic group identification, race, ancestry, national origin, religion, color, or mental or physical disability. The protections under this law cover any program or activity in a school, including extracurricular activities and student clubs. This gives GSAs and other LGBTQ-related student clubs statewide legal protection. If you feel like your college is discriminating against the GSA on your campus, you should file a formal complaint with the appropriate administrator - see your school's handbook or call your Chancellor's office to find out more about this process. Policies and protections for college-level GSAs outside of California will vary from state to state. To find out more information about your legal rights as a college GSA, contact the ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Rights Project: 212-549-2673, http://www.aclu.org/lgbt. They will also be able to refer you to a local chapter in your area. The Federal Equal Access Act (link to above info) applies only to middle schools and high schools and does not extent any legal protections to college-level GSA clubs.
Information for Students Doing Research Projects or Reports GSA Network generally does not have the staff capacity to answer research questions or conduct interviews with students working on school reports or projects. We encourage you to explore the information on the rest of our website (www.gsanetwork.org) and to search the web for other useful material. To get you started, here are some good sites for information about LGBTQQ youth issues:
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