The
Action...
Our
organizations are student organizations, found primarily in North
American high schools and universities, that are intended to provide
a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgendered (LGBT) youth and their straight allies (LGBTA).
The
goal of most, if not all, organizations is to make their school
community safe and welcoming to all students regardless of sexual
orientation or gender identity. They participate in national campaigns
to raise awareness, such as the Day of Silence, National Coming
Out Day, and No Name Calling Week.
A common
misconception among the student body and the parents is that organizations
are simply dating services, or places where the "gay kids"
can get together. In actuality the diversity of a organization's
membership varies widely. Some organizations find that their members
are mostly straight, while some memberships are completely gay.
Some organizations change their name to place less emphasis on the
word "gay," resulting in creative alternatives such as
"Project Rainbow," "Pride Alliance," "Common
Ground," "Spectrum," or even the "Straight-Gay
Alliance." There are continued efforts to make organizations
and like prorgrams accepting of a wide range of individuals. The
common acronym "LGBT" can include many additional letters
including "QQASIP": corresponding to queer, questioning,
allied, straight, intersex or pansexual.
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Gay & Straight united -- |