“GSA participation is linked to academic performance (higher grade point average), more school belonging, and feeling safe at school.”
Whether you need to get the word out about your movie night, money so you can send your club officers to a leadership training, or help dealing with an unsupportive school administration, the Central Texas GSA Coalition is here to help. We can advertise your event in our weekly newsletter, connect you with community donors, help you put together a fundraising event or speak at your school board meeting to advocate for new policies. If your GSA needs support, shoot us an email or come to one of our meetings, and we'll work out a strategy!
Research shows that GSAs improve the success and well-being of all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We would love for every middle and high school to have a GSA, but unfortunately, that is not yet the case. If you'd like to start a GSA in your school but are facing some obstacles along the way, please reach out to us and we'll either help you overcome those challenges or find someone who can.
Schools often fail to provide adequate support for LGBTQIAP2+ students and information about issues and experiences that are specific to our community. We at the Central Texas GSA Coalition hope to correct this lack of information by compiling our own resource guides and by connecting students with professionals who can provide helpful, accurate information about various topics, including advocacy, college, health, and more.
Notifying people about queer community events, facilitating youth attendance at community events, whether it be by providing transportation, funding, or awareness,
Advocating for change by attending school board meetings,
Teaching self-advocacy skills,
Contacting lawmakers about legislation that affects our community,
Supporting individual students however we can,
Elle Smith had been the president of their high school Genders and Sexualities Alliance Club (GSA) for three years. During that time, the club went through a lot of changes in name, membership, and sponsorship, but one thing that remained consistent were the challenges the group faced. They were constantly stuck in a cycle of brainstorming events and activities but lacked the time, people or resources to get things done. Elle reached out to GSA friends from other schools and realized they were not alone in this struggle. Accordingly, they founded the Central Texas GSA Coalition to create a community of GSAs and other LGBTQ-related organizations across the Austin area to collaborate on projects, combine resources, share best practices, and host events. The Coalition currently has more than 30 member schools and organizations, and we are continuing to grow.
