Opinions on a GSA, anyone?
I just got an email from a school social worker I was talking about starting a Gay-Straight Alliance with. I'm still in middle school, and she wants to know how I feel about starting one of these in this environment. Could I get your thoughts/opinions about this matter, please? I'd appreciate some feedback, since I'm having some difficulty in finding out what to say, or actually forming any opinions about this.
Here's the email. I've edited it a bit so that it doesn't say my name, school's name, the name of one of my teachers, or anything that could betray my or somebody else's privacy.
Hi, -----:
I don't want you to think I have forgotten your wish to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at your school. I have taken your idea very seriously and done some serious research and consultation with others about it. I've talked with Dr. ------, Mrs. ----- twice, and consulted with a former assistant superintendent.
Let's talk next week. In the meantime, I would like you to think about the following questions:
1) Most students in middle school are just coming into an awareness of their sexual identity and usually they struggle to know how to express their growing awareness. How does a Gay Straight Alliance fit with this time of adjustment and growth? Is it appropriate?
2) Is there support among the student body for such a group? What stigma and jeopardy would this be putting the students and staff members in?
3) Given all of the above (which we can discuss next week), do you still want to talk to your principal about it?
------------, LCSW
School Social Worker
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Comments
Hey
It depends on a lot of factors whether you want to start a GSA at your middle school, most importantly you. What is your middle school like? Is it a typical public school with lots of mean people? A typical private school where everyone also seems to be learning how to be mean? Are you out yet? Do you see anyone else who is out at your school? (These aren't requirements, it just helps to see other visible people.)
Why do you want to start a GSA? What do you want it for? Do you think you could get other people to join? Do you think you could deal with the most likely cruel and ostracizing remarks of pretty much the rest of your school? Middle school is a pretty cruddy time at any rate, and there isn't even a pretense of curbed homophobia.
I hear you that you want some support, especially because there are so few people out at your age. You don't want to have to hang on till high school until being able to meet people. That is a very real worry, and I know how it feels to be lonely and isolated.
In middle school, I only started to realize my attraction to girls during eighth grade, when I was thirteen, and I was very heavily in denial. I only had the courage to go to a GSA meeting two years ago when I was fifteen. I wasn't really ready until then. At the same time, the presence of a GSA might have been comforting to me, though I have a pretty queer-friendly church and family. I doubt I would have joined a GSA in middle school though.
This is just what my interaction with a GSA might have been, though. I really don't know what the middle school environment is like for you. I don't know how much you want it. You should be prepared to persevere and you should be prepared for a lot of cruelty and disappointment, if your school is anything like mine was. At the same time, though, I would push to do it if you really want to. If you believe really strongly in it, if it will help with your peace of mind, that is a huge push in the right direction.
What do you think of the social worker's note?
No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless; there is too much work to do.--Dorothy Day
GSA
I'm just starting a GSA in my highschool. Does your highschool have a GSA? If the negative factors overwhelm the positive factors of starting a GSA, you could always consider creating/having a GSA in conjunction with the high school and have it be open to both?.
"Always do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest."