“These groups [GSAs] are extracurricular organizations in which students can seek the support of peers and faculty advisors, discuss issues such as homophobia and heterosexism that might exist in the school and community, and plan programming about sexual orientation and gender identity issues” (Sadowski 128).

“For a number of the students we interviewed whose schools had GSAs, these groups were important aspects of their high school experience that helped give them a sense of connection, purpose, support, and even pride at school” (Sadowski 128).

Sadowski, M. (2008). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in U.S. schools. In M. Sadowski (Ed.), Adolescents at school: Perspectives on Youth, Identity, and Education (2nd Ed., pp. 117-146). Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.

Though I did not really realize it at the time, I went to a fairly liberal high school. I knew a couple of gay and lesbian students in my grade, and one of my best friends was transgender (though she had not admitted it to her parents or publicly yet). Along with a few of my friends, I was a member of our Diversity Alliance club, which functioned as a safe space for students of different ethnicities, races, cultures, or sexual orientations to come together and discuss issues. Similar to a gay-straight alliance, this club allowed me to see the perspectives of many students who were homosexual and had vastly different experiences than me. As I listened to other people talk about their experiences with harassment in the hallways and verbal bullying by other students, I was shocked. I could not fathom the prejudice and discrimination they were experiencing simply because of their sexual orientation (though I know that some schools are a lot worse when it comes to this kind of harassment).

As I move forward in my teaching career, I want to create a safe space for my students by encouraging discussions about homosexuality and offering safe havens such as my Diversity Club so that students can discuss issues that weigh on their minds. Students need role models and mentors they can rely on as they are growing as individuals and coming to truly understand their identity, and teachers can provide that kind of guidance with the right kind of atmosphere in the classroom.