Experiences of sexual minority youth in relation to gay-straight student alliances (GSAs)

Objectives: This study thematically describes the experiences of sexual minority youth, a population frequently identified as at-risk for experiencing negative school outcomes, within the context of gay-straight student alliances (GSAs).

Methods: A total of 299 sexual minority adolescents and young adults, age 17-24 (M = 20.55, SD = 1.81), were recruited from college organizations for sexual minorities. Participants completed an online survey which assessed GSA-related school experiences qualitatively.

Results: Two raters used six codes reflecting the primary themes found in the qualitative responses (93.9% agreement). Positive experiences involving organizing well attended school events within a safe school environment were commonly reported. Negative experiences involving organizational challenges and a lack of safety were also uncovered. Additionally, respondents reported not being involved in the GSA for various reasons (i.e. fear of being ‘outed' and harassed). A fourth theme involved not having a GSA due to a general lack of school and community support. Two less common themes involved instability in GSAs (recent GSA formation or termination) and outright administration/teacher/community opposition to the GSA which impaired the GSA's functionality. Conclusions: While many sexual minority youth attend schools with GSAs, their experiences in relation to GSAs are widely varied. Despite previous research which has demonstrated the benefits of attending a school with a GSA, greater efforts are needed to ensure that sexual minority students feel safe attending GSA-related events and meetings. Additional analyses will investigate the roles that GSAs play in schools and the composition of GSAs in terms of student sexual orientation.