Gay straight alliance mission statement

LGBTQIA+ Resources: GSA Resources

GSA [Gay-Straight Alliance] clubs provide a shelter net for students during the coming out process. With a GSA club, youth break through the isolation to find support from peers and educational facility staff. GSA clubs unite LGBTQ students, straight allies, and members of the school community who are committed to making schools safer and more accepting for LGBT students.

GSANetwork Mission Statement

  • GSA Network
    "Gay-Straight Alliance Network is a national youth leadership organization that connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and community resources through peer support, direction development, and training."
  • Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools
    "Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Movement in Schools is a collaborative plan of Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Transgender Regulation Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights."
  • Safe Schools Coalition
    "Safe Schools Coalition is an international public-private partnership in

    Starting a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) in Your School

    This content is intended to serve as general information; it is not legal advice nor intended as legal advice.

    What is a Gender and Sexuality Alliance?

    Genders and Sexualities Alliances (formerly known as Gay-Straight Alliances), or GSAs, are student-led and student-organized school clubs that aim to create a protected, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender persona. GSAs provide a supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, gender nonconforming, and gender non-conforming (LGBTQ) students, as well as those who are perceived by others to be LGBTQ, are questioning their identity, have LGBTQ friends or family members, or just take care about LGBTQ issues.

    Why should I start a GSA at my school?

    GSAs help make schools safer for all students by providing support, educating others in your school about LGBTQ issues, and engaging in awareness activities favor the national Day of Silence. GSAs also allow LGBTQ and straight students to work together to take on issues that affect all students, including harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gende

    Starting a GSA

    GSA clubs are all across North America in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. GSAs are also gaining popularity in other countries around the globe, including India, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Clubs provide support and security for LGBTQ+ students and their straight cis-gender allies. Any student interested in starting an alliance can organize one in their school. It takes just one person to initiate change in a institution and make a difference. Follow a few basic steps, and rally around the excitement and desire that goes into creating a GSA.

    Right off the Bat

    Understanding why a GSA club is needed is essential to its future success. Students don’t depend on a reason to originate a noncurricular club, but if they are met with opposition, having a clear explanation of the service a GSA can provide may help sustain the process. Are Queer students enduring bullying and harassment and need a safe space to go? Or maybe LGBTQ+ students want a way to meet other students and straight cisgender allies. Hold note of any specific need. Knowing the reasons why organizing a GSA is important to the school will battle any possible r

    Sample GSA Mission Statements

    Download a PDF version of this document here.

    A mission statement is a brief description of an organization’s purpose and focus.  Some schools expect clubs to give a mission utterance before they’re approved.  A good mission statement should provide responses to the following question words: Who, why, and how.  Who are you?  Why undertake you exist?  How do you intend to accomplish your goals?

    Every GSA is different.  Some execute more as a social-support group, and some focus more on education and advocacy.  Here are a few sample mission statements to get you started:

    Social-Support GSA Mission Statement

    The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at North Sky-high School provides a safe and welcoming space for any student who wants to talk about issues related to sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.  We compete games, do team-building activities, watch movies, eat snacks, and talk about what’s going on in our lives.  Everyone is welcome to come, regardless of identity.

    Educational GSA Mission Statement

    The Gay-Straight Alliance at Central Middle School seeks to create greater consciousness about the issues and unique experiences faced by the