Five Frequently Asked Questions About GSA and LGBT

Maybe you've heard the term GSA or LGBT used, but do you really know and understand what they mean? To help you to understand the importance of having a GSA in your school, I've compiled this list of 5 frequently asked questions about GSA and LGBT.

Question:

What is GSA? What about LGBT?

Answer:

GSA stands for Gay Straight Alliance. Gay Straight Alliance is a student led club in middle and high schools dedicated to promoting LGBT awareness, and decreasing LGBT bullying, violence and harassment. LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.

Question:

Is LGBT bullying and harassment really a problem in our schools?

Answer:

Yes. A recent National School Climate Survey found that nearly 90% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed at school. 44.1% reported being physically harassed. More than half of students surveyed reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. And another 38.4% felt unsafe because of their gender expression. School is a place where all students are supposed to and should feel safe, so why are we allowing so many kids to be harassed?

Question:

Okay, so LGBT bullying is a problem. Why do we need GSA? Can't the principal take care of it?

Answer:

While the administration is a crucial group to help solve this problem, they have a lot on their plate and cannot dedicate all of their time towards awareness and prevention. They come in to help resolve the problem after it happens, not to say that they are not an important piece in creating awareness and preventing bullying, they are just not the main player. That's where GSA comes in. LGBT bullying in schools is a huge problem, and it needs a solution. By GSA creating awareness, we can all work towards prevention.

Question:

Are parents of LGBT students affected too?

Answer:

Yes. Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation's K-12 Schools, a study released by GLSEN reported that over half of parents of LGBT students reported being excluded from school activities in some way.

Question:

Does educating people that there is bullying and harassment going on really make a difference?

Answer:

The 2007 National School Climate Survey referenced above found that in schools with a Gay Straight Alliance LGBT students reported less bullying, harassment and violence due to their gender expression or sexual orientation, were less likely to miss school due to feeling unsafe, and were more likely to report harassment and violence to school personal.

With all the positive effects of having a Gay Straight Alliance, it is startling to hear that only 36% of schools have one. Now that you're aware, you can help to change that and work towards raising awareness and preventing LGBT related bullying, harassment and violence.

Sources:

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2340.html?state=research&type=research

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2271.html?state=research&type=research