The “Gay-Straight Alliance,” or GSA, is a gender sexuality alliance club that creates a safe, welcoming and accepting school environment for all students no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity.
When first founded in 1988, the club began in Concord, Massachusetts, but over the last 35 years the club has expanded through American high schools with a mission to create a safe, non-hateful and inclusive place for any student to go to.
Students from any grade, and of any gender or sexuality are welcomed into the group with a positive perspective.
The club strives to build a healthy, welcoming and positive environment, where students can be who they want to be without discrimination.
Amira Salzar (12), the club’s president, says, “I love being able to give people the platform to step up and take the lead.”
Amira has been a part of the GSA since she was a freshman and is celebrating her fourth year in the club as its president. With her presidency, Amira wants to make the club hands-on where anybody, no matter if it’s their first year or their fourth, can put in fun workshop ideas, whether it’s teaching about LGBTQ+ history or just creating a fun, hands-on activity like drawing, painting and listening to music.
Briana Ruiz (12) is a new member of the GSA club says, “It is a gay-straight alliance, so whoever you are, even if you have nothing to do with the LGBTQ+ community, this is still a safe place. We are stilling willing to listen to you and your ideas and share your thoughts.”
The club was first created to bring together LGBTQ+ youth and allies and build a safe community to discuss issues impacting the community and their schools and find ways in which they can help improve them.
This year the GSA plans to organize activities during lunches and after school workshops to rally interest in the young lives at school and find ways to improve the well-being of students attending ANHS.
Amira is working hard alongside other members of the club to improve the community and make schools in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel more welcoming and inclusive places.
Recently, a new proposed parent policy said if a student came to a teacher or administrator and told them information like their sexuality or gender identity, that teacher or administrator member would then have to immediately report it to the student’s family. Many of the group members in favor of the policy went to the CUSD board meeting on Oct. 18 and were met with several GSA members who went out and spoke against the policy. Due to the GSA member’s courage to express their opinions and fight against it, the policy was not passed.
The GSA works hard at supporting students who don’t come from loving and accepting households and creates an environment in which students can be whomever they want without judgment and discrimination.
The GSA is an extremely welcoming club that invites anyone, no matter who you are or how you identify, to stop by a meeting and share your thoughts and ideas on ways to improve the club.
