Gay‐Straight Alliances Vary on Dimensions of Youth Socializing and Advocacy: Factors Accounting for Individual and Setting‐Level Differences

Abstract

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) are school-based youth settings that could promote health. Yet, GSAs have been treated as homogenous without attention to variability in how they operate or to how youth are involved in different capacities. Using a systems perspective, we considered two primary dimensions along which GSAs function to promote health: providing socializing and advocacy opportunities. Among 448 students in 48 GSAs who attended six regional conferences in Massachusetts (59.8% LGBQ; 69.9% White; 70.1% cisgender female), we found substantial variation among GSAs and youth in levels of socializing and advocacy. GSAs were more distinct from one another on advocacy than socializing. Using multilevel modeling, we identified group and individual factors accounting for this variability. In the socializing model, youth and GSAs that did more socializing activities did more advocacy. In the advocacy model, youth who were more actively engaged in the GSA as well as GSAs whose youth collectively perceived greater school hostility and reported greater social justice efficacy did more advocacy. Findings suggest potential reasons why GSAs vary in how they function in ways ranging from internal provisions of support, to visibility raising, to collective social change. The findings are further relevant for settings supporting youth from other marginalized backgrounds and that include advocacy in their mission.

The protective role of gay–straight alliances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students: A prospective analysis.

“…The influence of GSAs on psychological well-being may be related less to generic participation and more to the quality and amount of time spent in GSA activities. Thus, it may be that in order to test psychological benefits of GSAs, multiple dimensions of GSAs need to be assessed (Griffin, 2004, Poteat et al, 2015; Seelman, et al, 2015). …”

LGBTQ Youth's Views on Gay‐Straight Alliances: Building Community, Providing Gateways, and Representing Safety and Support

“…6 GSAs are not uniform across schools, although most provide various types of support such as socialization (eg, peer group support, queer prom, movie nights, Facebook pages), counseling (eg, individual or small group session with GSA advisor/school counselor), and advocacy (eg, Day of Silence, classroom presentations). 7,8 …”

“…9–13 The relationship between a GSA and school climate is complementary and mutually informative; for example, GSAs in schools where students perceive greater hostility regarding sexual orientation engage in more advocacy efforts than schools with less hostility. 8 LGBTQ youth who attend a school with a GSA, in comparison to those without a GSA, report safer school climates, more supportive teachers and school staff, better grades, and a lower likelihood of skipping school because of fear. 13 GSAs most certainly impact and intersect with all of the aforementioned school climate dimensions, either directly or indirectly, and warrant further investigation as a key contributor to positive school climate.…”

“…6 GSAs are not uniform across schools, although most provide various types of support such as socialization (eg, peer group support, queer prom, movie nights, Facebook pages), counseling (eg, individual or small group session with GSA adviser/school counselor), and advocacy (eg, Day of Silence, classroom presentations). 7,8 A growing body of predominantly quantitative research demonstrates that GSAs are an important resource for LGBTQ youth. [9][10][11][12][13] The relationship between a GSA and school climate is complementary and mutually informative; for example, GSAs in schools where students perceive greater hostility regarding sexual orientation engage in more advocacy efforts than schools with less hostility.…”

The push for transgender inclusion: Exploring boundary spanning in the gay–straight alliance

“…The high school experience can be challenging, especially for youth struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity. GSAs and its members have become a predominant voice within the public high school arena advocating for creating safer and more supportive school climates (Mayberry, 2013;Mayo, 2017;Porta, Singer, et al, 2017;Poteat, Scheer, Marx, Calzo, & Yoshikawa, 2015). As public knowledge, perception, and acceptance of gay and lesbian individuals has expanded over the last decade, increasingly, the social landscape of GSA clubs is too changing.…”