The Role of Gender-Sexuality Alliances in Supporting Secondary Students in Rural Areas

Background and purpose: A student’s sense of safety and acceptance plays a crucial role in their level of academic and social success. Research indicates that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) youth are more frequently victimized at school than their heterosexual peers (Kosciw et al., 2013). Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs, also referred to as Genders-Sexualities Alliances, are student-led school organizations that encourage an inclusive and accepting school environment for LGBTQ youth. The inclusion of GSA clubs in schools has been shown to decrease violence against LGTBQ youth (Marx & Kettrey, 2016). Most studies on GSA organizations have been conducted in liberal, urban states. We addressed this gap by surveying school administrators and counselors employed in rural, midwestern secondary schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of school climate and the availability of resources and supports for LGTBQ students, including GSA groups.

Methods: A recruitment email was sent to school administrators or counselors at public secondary schools throughout a largely rural Midwestern state. By clicking on the link to the survey, respondents consented to participation in the study. Survey sections included demographic questions, the safety of LGBTQ students, and the availability of supports and resources for LGBTQ students and families. Along with answering questions about the whether the school had a GSA and, if so, the type of activities they engaged in, this study also examined the reasons behind the large number of schools that did not have GSA clubs.

Results: Respondents reported a lack of need for or interest in GSAs as well as expressing concerns for student safety. The belief was that if students were to become involved in a GSA, they would become targets of bullying and harassment. The focus was on limiting the behavior of the students interested in joining a GSA club, not educating the bullies. Furthermore, respondents answered questions about the overall school climate and the safety of LGBTQ students. On a positive note, most respondents (76%) felt that schools should support LGBTQ students. However, the nearly one-quarter of respondents who did not agree that schools have a responsibility to support LGBTQ students is concerning. Regarding the overall school climate, the majority of respondents (61%) reported that their schools have not engaged in efforts specifically designed to create a safe environment for LGBTQ students. A possible reason for this is the lack of support respondents reported for LGBTQ students from the PTA/PTO, school board members, and the larger community. Regarding student safety, respondents reported minimal instances of physical violence, however, cyberbullying was a notable concern.

Conclusions & Implications: School climate is problematic in most schools, with frequent instances of cyberbullying and generalized anti-LGBTQ slurs. Schools are engaging in minimal efforts to build inclusive climates: the majority of respondents indicated that their schools have not engaged in initiatives to create safe schools and less than 1/3 of schools have GSAs. Findings have implications for incorporating bullying and harassment policies, peer mediation and LGBTQ rights awareness campaigns in rural high schools.