Coxsackie-Athens Circuit
The Gay-Straight AllianceThursday, December 02, 2010 By Stephen Wood
The Gay-Straight Alliance is a very important organization for young teens who are attracted to the same gender. Teens who are attracted to the same gender are usually teased or harassed because of their sexual orientation. The GSA is a great thing to have in schools because it allows teens to have a group to join with others that can be a created safe zone. The GSA has a mission. This mission consists of getting schools to have a safe zone for its students, to stop the harassment and bullying, and to educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation and the issues that surround it. The GSA has a National Gathering that is hosted by the National Association of GSA Networks. It provides an opportunity for National Association members to collaborate, to share stories, to exchange resources, to discuss best practices, and to build the GSA movement. The National Gathering is free and travel scholarships are available. The National Gathering welcomes only 55 to 75 participants each year; two-thirds of all participants are youth leaders. So, when you look at someone who is different, in orientation, think about this: “What if he or she was you?” And then say something, because no ones like to be made fun of for what he or she believes in or who he or she loves. So help them out if someone is bothering them and be a friend. |