GSA Network

Mission Statement

GSA Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities.

Our overall strategy for fighting for educational justice is to work with grassroots, youth-led groups and GSAs, empowering them to educate their schools and communities, advocate for just policies that protect LGBTQ youth from harassment and violence, and organize in coalition with other youth groups across identity lines to address broader issues of oppression.

All of our work with students focuses on leadership development and activism that prioritizes building alliances not only across sexual orientation and gender identity lines, but also across race, ethnicity, and class lines, and our resources and trainings are designed to facilitate coalition building.

Events

GSA Activist Camp:

GSA Activist Camp is a youth-planned, youth-led summer training academy for youth in schools. Camp is 3 days long and feature intensive community building, skill-building, political education, and leadership training for current and potential GSA members.

Applications coming soon:

SoCal Activist Camp: June 2018
Northern California & Central Valley Activist Camp: July 2018

Who should apply?

Youth (age 18 and under) who are interested in making their schools safer for LGBT students should apply.
You must attend a California middle school or high school.
You must attend camp in the region you live and you must be available to attend all camp dates.
We are especially looking for students who are high school juniors or younger since Activist Camp youth often work on a campaign that continues into the next school year.
Middle school students can also apply.
Youth who have graduated high school or who have attended camp before are not eligible to attend camp as a participant
Youth of color, low-income youth, youth with disabilities, and transgender and gender non-conforming youth are strongly encouraged to apply.

Fee:

$0-$200, pay what you can/sliding scale

GSA Network strives to make all programs available and accessible to all youth. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Upon acceptance, you will be able to submit a check in the amount you can pay. If you are unable to pay, no questions asked.

History

GSA Network was founded in 1998 to empower youth activists to start GSA clubs to fight homophobia and transphobia in schools.

GSA Network founder Carolyn Laub began working with 40 GSA clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1998-99 school year. The organization quickly expanded and by 2001 GSA Network became a statewide organization. By 2005, GSA Network began operating programs nationally.

In 2008, GSA Network became incorporated as its own independent non-profit organization. Prior to that, GSA Network was a fiscally sponsored project of The Tides Center.

In 2015, GSA Network's Board of Directors, hired two long time staff to serve as Co-Executive Directors to replace outgoing founder and Executive Director Carolyn Laub. In 2016, Gay-Straight Alliance Network formally changed its name to Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network, and continues to network organizations representing over 4000 GSA clubs across the nation.

Staff

David Bracamontes

Senior Manager, Operations

Born and raised in Los Angeles. His organizing, planning, and activism began as a student leader with the MultiCultural Center (MCC) of Humboldt State University. After earning a degree in Communication as well as working in sexual assault prevention education and alcohol and other drug prevention, David returned to the MCC as the Program and Outreach Coordinator. The role solidified David’s passion for planning and organizing that contributes to authentic positive social change. David’s personal and professional passions combined when he became a founding member of the Eureka Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Currently, David serves the Bay Area as a member of the San Francisco Sisters. David is thrilled to join the GSA Network team where the organization’s mission aligns with his personal passion.

Ginna Brelsford

Co-Executive Director

Originally from Juneau, Alaska, Ginna is a highly qualified administrator with progressive leadership experience, who managed GSA Network’s finance and operations as Finance and Administrative Director before becoming Co-Executive Director. Ginna joined GSA Network’s staff in 2011 where she has served as a member of the Executive and Management Teams. A graduate of Smith College, Ginna has over 10 years of nonprofit financial and operations experience having previously been employed at MassEquality, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and Environmental Justice Coalition for Water. In her tenure at GSA Network, Ginna has overseen organizational human resources and operational needs in a rapid expansion of staff and infrastructure, including expansion to another state. Ginna became Co-Executive Director in 2015 and is also an Arcus Foundation Leadership Fellow.

Geoffrey Winder

Co-Executive Director

A former high school activist and GSA leader, Geoffrey has been working with GSA Network since his time as a youth council leader in 1999 and brings over 15 years of social justice youth organizing experience to his leadership role. Geoffrey served as a governing board member from 2001 to 2005 and was GSA Network’s Board Co-Chair in 2004. He joined GSA Network’s full time staff in 2008 and most recently served as the organization’s Sr. Manager of the Racial and Economic Justice program, a program he developed and led since its inception in 2011. Under his leadership, GSA Network’s Racial and Economic Justice work developed into a signature program raising GSA Network’s national profile as a voice for LGBTQ youth of color and is largely credited with shifting the national narrative on LGBTQ youth anti-bullying policies and punitive school discipline while highlighting the issues of LGBTQ youth pushout.

Christopher Covington

SoCal Community Organizer

As a proud product of Long Beach, California. Christopher Covington has dedicated his life to a future where all students who have historically been marginalized, made invisible, and unheard are uplifted and empowered to challenge and deconstruct the systems of oppression. As a multi-racial, gay young man of color growing up in poverty he was determined that he would not be boxed in by the limitations others placed on him. His dedication and determination to advancing issues and creating real systems change led him to begin organizing his community. He specialized in building true partnerships between students and members of City Councils, School Boards, California State Legislature and the U.S. Department of Education on issues of inclusion, working families, school to prison pipeline and restorative justice that led to major policy wins.

Andy Gonzalez

Field Organizer, SoCal

Andy is a trans gender non-conforming Latinx member to recently join the GSA Network. Their pronouns are they/them/theirs. While attending John C. Fremont High School, as a youth activist, Andy was involved with Community Coalition fighting against the School to Prison Pipeline when their school was threatened of being closed. At the same time Andy started to get involved with the GSA club during senior year. This made a huge impact on Andy for their own identity as a Queer and Trans youth and their activism involvement. Additionally, Andy has been collaborating alongside with Immigrant Youth Coalition as a comrade to fight against the deportation and detentions of undocumented queer and trans folk. Andy is ready and excited to work along side powerful and amazing trans and queer youth working to fight for gender, racial, and sexuality justice. Andy holds a BA in Sociology and a minor in Women Gender and Sexualities studies from California State University Los Angeles.

Funding

You can make a difference.

Your gift will ensure that GSA youth leaders get the training and support they need to start and run successful Gay-Straight Alliance clubs.

With your support, they will make their schools safer for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

DONATE:

https://gsanetwork.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1

Sources

How to set up a GSA in your school:

1. Follow Guidelines:

Establish a GSA the same way you would establish any other group or club. Look in your Student Handbook for the rules at your school. This may include getting permission from an administrator, finding an advisor, and/or writing a constitution.

2. Find a Faculty Advisor:

Find a teacher or staff member whom you think would be supportive or who has already shown themselves to be an ally around sexual orientation issues. It could be a teacher, counselor, nurse, or librarian.

3. Inform Administration of Your Plans:

Tell administrators what you are doing right away. It can be very helpful to have an administrator on your side. They can work as liaisons on your behalf with other teachers, parent groups, community members, and the school board. If an administrator is resistant to the GSA, let them know that forming a GSA club is protected under the Federal Equal Access Act.

4. Inform Guidance Counselors and Social Workers About The Group:

These individuals may know students who would be interested in attending the group.

5. Pick a Meeting Place:

You may want to find a meeting place which is off the beaten track at school and offers some level of privacy or confidentiality.

6. Advertise (and Get Food!):

Figure out the best way to advertise at your school. It may be a combination of school bulletin announcements, flyers, and word-of-mouth. Also get food and tell people there will be food: eople always come to meetings when you provide food! If your flyers are defaced or torn down, do not be discouraged. Keep putting them back up. Eventually, whoever is tearing them down will give up.

Besides, advertising for your group and having words up such as "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning" or "end homophobia" or "discuss sexual orientation" can be part of educating the school and can actually make other students feel safer -- even if they never attend a single meeting.

7. Hold Your Meeting!

You may want to start out with a discussion about why people feel having this group is important. You can also brainstorm things your club would like to do this year.

8. Establish Ground Rules:

Many groups have ground rules in order to insure that group discussions are safe, confidential, and respectful. Many groups have a ground rule that no assumptions or labels are used about a group member's sexual orientation. This can help make straight allies feel comfortable about attending the club.

9. Plan For The Future:

Develop an action plan. Brainstorm activities. Set goals for what you want to work towards. Contact Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network in order to get connected to all of the other GSAs, get supported, and learn about what else is going on in the community.

10. Register Your GSA :

https://gsanetwork.org/gsa-registration

Other Resources:

Ambitions

There are currently 37 states that have a GSA network! Our goal is to reach 50 states by 2020!

Credit to: https://gsanetwork.org/

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