Youth | GSAs/LGBTQ+ clubs | National Resources
GSAs and LGBTQ+ clubs can make middle school and high school better for all students.
If you run into issues starting or running a GSA or LGBTQ+ club at your New England school, contact us at www.GLADAnswers.org
If you attend a public school or a school that receives any federal funding – which includes many private schools – and if your school allows any non-curricular clubs (a club not associated with a subject taught at your school), you have the right to start a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) or other LGBTQ+ club.
Your school cannot prohibit your club just because they fear it may be disruptive
Thanks to a law called the Federal Equal Access Act, your school must allow you to form a club with the same rights, privileges and access as any other non-curricular club.
Your school cannot impose rules on your club that aren’t imposed on any other club
For instance, your school cannot force you to have a faculty advisor or permission slips if no other club is required to have one
Your school cannot force you to change the name of your club
GSAs/LGBTQ clubs are allowed to choose their own names, and shouldn’t be forced into euphemisms like “The Diversity Club.”
Diversity ClubTolerance Club- Gay-Straight Alliance ✔
- Queer Club ✔
Your school must allow your club access to the same facilities as any other club, like:
- Announcements on the PA
- Information in the school newspaper
- Posting flyers on bulletin boards
Related Content
-
Our Fight for LGBTQ+ Youth
Read MoreLGBTQ+ youth should have the support and freedom they need to be themselves and thrive as part of their communities.
-
Defending LGBTQ+ Inclusion and the Freedom to Learn in Our Public Schools
Read MoreEvery young person, including LGBTQ+ youth, deserves to learn, grow, and thrive in a safe school environment.
-
Title IX Ensures Inclusion for Transgender Youth In School and on the Field
Read MoreAll students deserve an equal education and to participate fully in school life, including the opportunity to play on school sports teams.