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Alliance

Who We Are

We are a group of LGBTQ+ students and allies driven to provide a safe place in which queer teens and their allies can be themselves and not have to fear negative judgment. In order meetings, all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, are able to show support for each other, by sharing similar experiences and confidential support. As a club, we discuss issues of bullying, bias, and diversity within our school and greater community while referencing relevant legislation, current events, and instances of activism around the world. Our greatest hope is that we can offer each other insight and assistance in dealing with occurrences of discrimination and ignorance, in an effort to promote school pride, culture, and acceptance of all people.

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Why Does Frankfort-Schuyler Need a GSA?

According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) 2019 National School Climate Survey, schools nationwide are a hostile environment for a distressing number of LGBTQ students. This latest edition of GLSEN’s biennial National School Climate Survey, which first began in 1999 and remains one of the few studies to examine the middle and high school experiences of LGBTQ youth nationally, found that:

  • Almost all LGBTQ students (98.8%) heard “gay” used in a negative way (e.g., “that’s so gay”) at school; 75.6% heard these remarks frequently or often, and 91.8% reported that they felt distressed because of this language.
     
  • 68.7% of LGBTQ students experienced verbal harassment (e.g., called names or threatened) at school based on sexual orientation, 56.9% based on gender expression, and 53.7% based on gender. 25.7% of LGBTQ students were physically harassed (e.g., pushed or shoved) in the past year based on sexual orientation, 21.8% based on gender expression, and 22.2% based on gender.
     
  • LGBTQ students who experience high levels of victimization and discrimination at school have worse educational outcomes. Grade point averages for these students were lower than for those who experienced lower levels of victimization or who did not experience discrimination (3.03 vs. 3.34). They were nearly twice as likely to report that they did not plan to pursue any post-secondary education and to have been disciplined at school. In general, these students had lower self-esteem and school belonging and higher levels of depression  
     
  • LGBTQ students in schools with an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum were less likely to feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation (44.4% vs. 62.7%) and gender expression (33.5% vs. 44.7%); 
     

Why We Matter

  • Compared to LGBTQ students who did not have a GSA in their school, students who had a GSA in their school:
    • Were less likely to hear “gay” used in a negative way often or frequently (70.5% vs. 83.5%);
    • Were less likely to hear negative remarks about gender expression often or frequently (49.3% vs. 59.5%); or  about transgender people (39.9% vs. 50.0%);
    • Were less likely to feel unsafe regarding their sexual orientation (53.6% vs. 67.4%) and gender expression (40.2% vs. 46.0%);
    • Were less likely to miss school because of safety concerns (28.4% vs. 39.6%);
    • Experienced lower levels of victimization related to their sexual orientation and gender expression;
    • Reported a greater number of supportive school staff and more accepting peers;
    • Felt greater belonging to their school community.
       

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