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Gay/Straight Alliances: A Student Guide
Other Activities

Support groups for gay, lesbian and heterosexual students can become involved in many kinds of activities besides holding meetings. Gay/Straight Alliances have done everything from going to Gay Pride Parades to picnics. The most successful of these activities are those that relate to the group's goals. Some goals of Gay/Straight Alliances include:

1. working on shared projects as a way to develop a strong organization;
2. educating themselves, the school and the community around them about issues relating to gay and lesbian students;
3. fostering understanding among alliance members and all students; and
4. having fun! Here is a list of some of the activities groups have enjoyed.

Marching with Pride

Many schools have attended gay pride parades and the annual From All Walks Of Life: AIDS Walk. Brookline High School attended the 1993 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights.

Pauline Pease, a student at Concord-Carlisle said, "Pride was a wonderful sense of community. People were loud and happy about who they were. It was also really sad, though. There was a Die-In where everyone dies on the pavement in memory of AIDS." And Linda Shapiro, the Newton North Advisor, echoed these sentiments. She said, "I'd never been to Gay Pride before. There were incredible crowds on the sidewalk. People yelling at us, 'Newton North, Class of '84' or 'Class of '72'. People kept coming up and saying why wasn't the group there when I was in school?' My favorite group was Gays In the Millinery. They had signs that said, 'Make Hats, Not War.'"

Find the Common Links

Sponsor a Day of Diversity where other school groups interested in civil rights issues get together and talk about the problems they've worked on and the issues they address. Discuss the commonalities among various forms of oppression. Look at ways that oppressions overlap. For example, consider how homophobia and racism impact on the life of an African-American gay man. Or look at how people of color suffer from the same sort of erasure and invisibility, being left out of textbooks, for example. Examine how stereotyping circumscribes the lives of people of color and homosexuals. You might discuss how sexism and homophobia can work together to keep women out of powerful positions. For example, look at how strong, independent-minded women are labeled "dykes" or "man-haters," or how lesbian baiting keeps women from advancing in the armed forces. Building coalitions among various school groups can be a great way to meet new people, explore ideas, and increase your base of support.

A number of schools, like Marblehead High School, have hosted Diversity Panels that give spokespeople representing racial, religious and sexual orientation diversity a chance to talk about their experiences and changes they'd like to see in the future. Students from Watertown High School's Gay/Straight Alliance spoke at the "Day of Respect" all-school assembly. This can be a good way to work with other human rights groups to create overarching change in your school and to create alliances and friendships with other students.

Gay and Lesbian Alumni Go Back To School

Alumni can be wonderful allies. They can serve as a bridge between the school and the community. Many have access to helpful and exciting resources. Boston Latin Alumni helped students form their Gay/Straight Alliance. Your school's alumni may be able to help you out with everything from vocal and financial support to free theater tickets. Some groups have invited gay or lesbian alumni to return to their Alma Maters to talk about the experiences they had being a lesbian or gay student. These presentations are informally known as the "Go Back to School Program." Alumni have the distance to talk freely about the obstacles they encountered and can be useful allies in getting support for your work.

Parents' Night

Concord-Carlisle's group has held two Parents' Nights. These evenings give parents an opportunity to learn about what activities SPECTRUM has been doing and what they're planning for the future. At first, SPECTRUM members were a little nervous. They were worried that antagonistic community members would show up, but instead, lots of supportive parents attended. The parents offered all sorts of resources to the group and decided to establish support groups in the community.

Outreach to the Community

Gay/Straight Alliances are sometimes surprised by the support they receive from their communities. At a community meeting in Marblehead, students from the high school said they were interested in forming a Gay/Straight Alliance. The meeting became uncharacteristically animated as community members volunteered help, asked what they could do to support the group and shouted out numerous suggestions. Another Gay/Straight Alliance was thrilled when they got a surprise call from an ice cream store owner who wanted to show his support by giving the group free sundaes!

There are a number of ways a group can reach out to the community. Dover- Sherborn held a community meeting featuring a diversity panel. Included in the group of speakers was a gay man who explained how homophobia and heterosexism hurt everyone. Some groups may feel it is important to address some of the questions or concerns raised by community members. Brookline High School asked and received help from the Brookline Adult Community Education Program to organize an informational meeting. And Middleborough High School's superintendent moderated a panel including a student, a teacher, a parent, a member of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth and a representative from the Safe Schools Program.

Movies, Movies, Movies

Duxbury students said that showing movies was one of their best activities, and Newton South has held Movie Nights. Norwood High School went to see "Schindler's List" and discussed how lesbians and gays were victimized in the Holocaust and the connections between anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia. You might decide to check out a documentary about Massachusetts students who worked for the Anti-Discrimination Law or maybe you'll decide to go down to your local video store and pick up one of the increasing number of commercial films with gay and lesbian themes.

Go Take a Hike

Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School went on an outdoor hiking adventure trip. Outward Bound offers a special program on Thompson Island to assist schools to become safer for gay and lesbian students. (See Appendix for information.) You don't have to do something structured! All sorts of outdoor events can be a wonderful way to strengthen friendships and give your group a chance to get outside of the school and talk freely. Brookline High School's Gay/Straight Alliance held a picnic where they played Ultimate Frisbee and a goofy game of "Red Rover." Sometimes it's important for a group to just get together and have fun.

Teach the Teachers Day

Consider sponsoring an after-school workshop for teachers in your school about issues facing gay and lesbian students, the things you would like them to know. Put together a panel of students who want to talk about their own experiences or things they have witnessed in school. Invite a speaker from the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students to talk about the Board of Education's Recommendations, and perhaps pick a video for the teachers to watch.

How About a Play?

Plays are a great activity for Gay/Straight Alliances. Recently, "Angels in America," a blockbuster written by a gay man about AIDS, won several Tony Awards and is certain to make gay and lesbian theater more visible than ever before. In Boston, there are two gay and lesbian theater groups, Triangle Theater Company and the Theater Offensive. The Theater Offensive runs free theater workshops throughout the year. Some theaters offer discounts to groups, and others may be willing to offer cheaper seats to students. (See Appendix.)

Speaking to Middle Schools

Namecalling and harassment are common occurrences in middle schools, and often the insults middle school students use refer to gays and lesbians. Research has found that, next to slurs about intelligence, homophobic slurs are the second most commonly used insults uttered by elementary school children.

Ellen Burchett, a freshman at Newton South, summed up a number of students' feelings when she said, "My middle school didn't have a support group working on these issues, and they really needed it."

One of the members of the Newton North Gay-Straight Alliance said, "It's important to go to the middle schools and teach sixth graders that when they say 'fag' it's offensive and wrong." Members of the Newton North group went back to their middle school and talked with the administration about the homophobia they had encountered there. They told the administration that they felt it was important to do something to change the climate of that school. In June, three members of the alliance went to the middle school and talked to three different eighth-grade classes. The eighth graders had lots of questions. One little boy ran up to them in the school cafeteria, stared at their pink triangle buttons, asked if they were gay and then ran off. The group members were exuberant, however, knowing that they had helped to break the ignorance, silence and fear surrounding issues of homophobia at their Alma Mater.

And This Award Goes to...

Who doesn't love to win an award? The Cambridge Lavender Alliance, a gay and lesbian political group primarily for adults, has given an annual award to the Cambridge Rindge and Latin senior who has done the most for the advancement and well-being of gay and lesbian students in their schools. These sorts of awards can inspire students to work hard on these issues and can also generate publicity for your group. Your alliance could offer a yearly prize, or you could try to get a community group, store, restaurant or company to offer a prize at the end of the year.

Savvy Surveys

A number of Gay/Straight Alliances have sent out surveys to assess the level of tolerance their school has for gay and lesbian students and to better target the work that needs to be done. Some have surveyed students, teachers and school staff, and parents about issues related to gay and lesbian students and homophobia. SPECTRUM gave out a survey to 849 students "to measure some effects of homophobia in the school" and published the results in the school newspaper. They found that 36% of the school reported that verbal harassment based on sexual orientation occurred at the high school on a daily basis. At Lincoln-Sudbury High School 400 students were surveyed. Thirty-four percent of them said that their friends would be uncomfortable if they found out someone they knew was gay, lesbian or bisexual. Surveys can be a helpful determinant in figuring out what sorts of educational activities to plan and what sorts of posters might help to make people re-think their assumptions. Consider issuing a survey at the beginning of the year and then one at the end of the year to see how much progress you've made!

Get Funky

"Gays for Patsy," a Boston-based dance group, hosted a two-stepping dance for Boston Area Gay/Straight alliances. Getting together with other alliances and hosting a dance can be a great way to make new friends and have fun. You might also want to host a dance for your school. Students have defied tradition and gone to their proms in same-sex couples as well.

One such student was Jessica Byers, a student leader of Cambridge Rindge and Latin's GSA, Project 10 East. Before her prom, she was anxious about the response of others in her high school. "I didn't have a girlfriend at the time," Jessica said, "So I asked my good friend Josie Gold (co-founder of the Gay/Straight Alliance at Belmont High School) who also asked me to her prom." On the day of the prom, the young women dressed in their finest party dresses, exchanged corsages, and entered the hall like all the other couples.

Aside from one rude remark made by a male who had apparently come intoxicated, and some rather uncomfortable and prolonged glances from some individuals, both proms were quite remarkable in that they were not at all remarkable. The young women danced, drank punch, stood hand-in-hand to have their pictures taken, laughed and chatted with one another, with other students, and with staff chaperons. Jessica reflected, "I'm glad we did it for a lot of the closeted people at both schools. I think it was important for everyone to see that we could do it, and it wasn't a big deal."

(Excerpted from "Gay/Straight Alliances: Transforming Pain to Pride" by Warren Blumenfeld, published in the High School Journal, Volume 77, Nos. 12)

Field Trips

Cape Cod Technical High School's group went to a local community college program on homophobia. Watertown's Gay/Straight Alliance went to a Red Sox Game. And Barnstable High School's Gay/Straight Alliance went to a "Youth Day" at Cape Cod Community College and to a Safe Schools Program Regional Workshop. GSA's from Boston Latin, Newton South, Concord-Carlisle, Duxbury, and Winchester High School attended the annual GSA Conference hosted by the Newton North High School group.

Students from several schools across the state went to the State House to rally for the Anti-Discrimination Law. There were many students like Sarah Longberg-Lew, a Brookline High School student, and Mark DeLellis, from Belmont High, who spent every Monday for weeks standing on the State House steps holding placards and signs with slogans like "Gays Make up 30% of Youth Suicides" (a reference to a U.S. government report on suicides by young people published in 1989).

Students have also attended and made presentations at a variety of conferences held across the state, including the Gay and Lesbian Student Rights Conference that was held at Northeastern University in March 1994. Students also spoke at the Equity for Gay and Lesbian Students Conference: Progress and Promise in Our Schools held at Lesley College in May 1994 for school superintendents, administrators, teachers, parents and students. They have participated in numerous Safe Schools Program Regional Workshops held on Fridays and Saturdays in various towns and cities in Massachusetts.

Awareness Days

One of the most popular and effective events that Gay/Straight Alliances hold for the whole school are awareness days. They are full days when a series of events are held to create awareness and celebrate gay and lesbian pride. A number of alliances have hosted Days of Awareness. Susanna Kittredge, from Newton South, said that they passed out pink triangle stickers on their BGLAD Day (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Awareness Day) and tons of people wore them in support. Norwood High School's Day of Awareness focused on "Respecting Yourself and Others." Donna Georges, from Amesbury High School, recommends a Question-and-Answer Panel "For youth and caring adults," so that people can find out the answers to their questions about gay and lesbian issues. Lincoln-Sudbury High School had a Gay Day on Valentine's Day. They had a student panel with kids from the GSA and students from FRAGLY (Framingham Area Gay and Lesbian Youth Group).

Sample agendas from Gay Awareness Days

The following are the agendas from Gay Awareness Days hosted by Newton South in consecutive years. The members of Newton South's Gay/Straight Alliance chose to address new topics in the second year that reflected the interests and changes within their school. Use their ideas as a springboard for your own Day of Awareness.

Newton South Gay and Lesbian Awareness Day

(Held on December 18, 1992)

C-Block: Students from BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth) discuss how they came to terms with their sexual orientation and what it is like to be gay in high school.
H-Block: Panel of students from TRISKELION, an alliance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight students from Brandeis University, discuss issues faced by college students, and changes in attitude that occur when one makes the transition from high school to college.
D-Block: Homophobia 101. Newton South history teacher, Bob Parlin, will deliver a presentation on the basic issues surrounding homosexuality and homophobia.
G-Block: "What Can High Schools Do To Combat Homophobia?" Members of Newton South's Gay/Straight Alliance lead an open discussion.
F-Block: Arlene Isaacson, Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, talks about the gay and lesbian civil rights movement.

Newton South Gay and Lesbian Awareness Day
(Held on December 20, 1993)

A-Block: "Gay Rights and the Law." Katherine Triantafillou, Cambridge City Councilor, speaks about current legal issues.
B-Block: "Gay Youth" Film and discussion.
C-Block: "The Depiction of Lesbians and Gay Men in the News and Entertainment Media." WBZ-TV newsperson and openly gay man, Randy Price, talks about positive and negative images of gay men and lesbians in the media.
D-Block: "Transgender Issues." A panel of transgender individuals talks about issues relating to transvestities and transexuals.
E-Block: "The Common Roots of Oppression: What are the Connections Between Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia?" A diverse panel of civil rights activists talk about the links among oppressions.
F-Block: "Openly Gay in High School." A panel of young lesbians and gay men share their personal experiences.
G-Block: "Hate Crimes." William Johnson, Deputy Superintendent of the Boston Police Department, explains what hate crimes are and how they are dealt with by the police.

When Everything Comes Together

It is important that schools take the next step, whatever it might be, in building a support network to ensure the safety of all students. Your group might want to work with the administration to rewrite the school harassment policy, or perhaps it might want to put up posters. No matter which way you decide to progress, no matter how small the next step, as soon as the silence surrounding issues of homophobia and homosexuality has been broken, your school will be changed and the lives of students will be changed.

Peter Atlas, the faculty advisor to Concord-Carlisle's Gay/Straight Alliance, SPECTRUM, told this success story. He said that a confluence of events helped his school to effectively address the safety of gay and lesbian students. "In my school we had an 'out' teacher, which I don't think is necessary, but I do think is helpful. We had a large group of supportive straight-identified faculty which I think is vital. We had the backing of the state in that the Governor and Board of Education said it is important to address these issues. So we were able to go to the administration and say we have to begin to deal with these issues."

It is crucial to remember that all schools addressing the safety of gay and lesbian students have the backing of state law and policy. By building consensus within your school that it is important to address these issues, getting the support of members of the faculty, administration, student body and the community, you will have the building blocks you need to go forward with this work. The following are some concrete ways supporters can help make schools safer for all students.

How Supporters Can Help Make Schools Safer for Gay and Lesbian Students

Sometimes people are passively supportive. They may believe that addressing lesbian and gay student issues is important, but they don't know how to express their support, and they don't know that students need and want their help. These people can help lesbian and gay students by establishing themselves as visible allies - people that students know they can turn to for support and help. Some teachers, administrators and guidance counselors have put up gay-positive posters in their classrooms. Others have made a conscious effort to use inclusive language. Many have stuck stickers in their classrooms that have a pink triangle and the word "ally" printed on the front. Some students have plastered these stickers to their sneakers or books.

Supporters can also help fight anti-gay prejudice by addressing instances of anti-gay prejudice whenever they occur.

Josh Bennett-Johnson, a student at Concord-Carlisle, said, "Lots of guys on the baseball team were making fag jokes. They didn't realize it was insulting." Now, whenever he hears someone say something anti-gay, he goes up to them and says, "How can you find so much pleasure in putting someone down, in ruining their day? It doesn't bother me that you think homosexuality is wrong. It bothers me that you have to insult someone."

In addition to helping individual students, supporters can help build consensus within your school and community that it is important to address these issues. Here are some suggestions for ways that supporters can help make schools safer for gay and lesbian students.

• Members of the community can encourage Youth Commissions that meet to discuss a range of issues of concern to youth, to look at the problems unique to gay and lesbian students.
• Community leaders can establish a Community Task Force dedicated to addressing the needs of young gays and lesbians - for example, a Superintendent's Task Force on Gay and Lesbian Students.
• Religious leaders can establish special rap groups for gay and lesbian youth.
• Members of the PTO and Parent Advisory Board can address gay and lesbian student safety in their meetings and newsletters.
• Administrators and superintendents can change policies to include sexual orientation and provide in-service time for staff to learn about making schools safer for gay and lesbian students.
• Stores, restaurants, community groups and individuals can help show their support for Gay/Straight Alliances by providing food for meetings, donating t-shirts, etc. For example, P-FLAG donated books for the library at Cape Cod Technical High School on behalf of their Gay/Straight Alliance.

Having a strong, active support network will ensure that if you do encounter resistance you will have allies in the student body, the faculty, the administration and the community.