Gender and Sexuality Alliances (formerly known as Gay-Straight Alliances), or GSAs, are student-led and student-organized school clubs that aim to create a safe, welcoming and accepting school environment for all young people.
You have a right to start a GSA in public school if your school allows extracurricular clubs (those that don’t directly relate to the curriculum taught in school). The federal Equal Access Act and U.S. Constitution allow public secondary school students to create extracurricular clubs equally and also require that your extracurricular club can’t be treated differently than other groups. For example, school administrators typically can’t single out your school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) to change its name, require parents sign waivers for students to attend, or stop you from holding events if they do not do such things to other student groups.
If you or someone you know is facing discrimination or having trouble starting a GSA, you can seek legal assistance through the ACLU of Texas or Lambda Legal.
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