GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) is a student organization that meets in East campus’ maroon room after school every Thursday. With open minds and open hearts, current members of the club welcome newcomers to attend their meetings.

To many people in the club, GSA is a safe place where they can speak their minds about anything that they aren’t comfortable speaking about outside of school. The maroon room during the time the meetings are held becomes a
no-judgement zone.

Meetings start out with reviewing the club rules, an activity, 15 minutes of feels (a designated time to discuss struggles and triumphs and offer support), meeting wrap up, and the recitation of the GSA pledge. The meetings are supervised by club sponsors Mrs. Fassola and Mr. Wood and led by students Haley Roberts, Ryan Queeny, and Payton Hamilton.

Every year GSA plans activities to make Lockport a more accepting place. For example, the rainbow ribbons  that can be found in classrooms are a symbol of acceptance. It notifies students that the room belongs to an ally that they can talk to about anything in private.

Another important thing that GSA does annually is the Day of Silence.  The Day of Silence is a student-led national event organized in thousands of schools that brings awareness to the effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying, and harassment. GSA brings awareness to LTHS about this important day. It’s announced to the whole school, and members outside of GSA participate.

GSA has spread not only awareness but respect to a handful of important topics over the years. GSA is the kind of club that creates bonds. A member of GSA, Carrie Cline, states, “The friends I have met in GSA have been people I’ve become really close to and tend to see and talk to every day in and out of school.”

When asked how GSA has helped her, she remarks,  “GSA has helped me gain confidence, and it has helped me know that someone is always there for me before GSA. I’ve become more open and social since I’ve joined this program. It’s like always having a friend there for you no matter where you go.”

GSA is certainly a place where people can create bonds and talk exclusively about their problems that goes on outside of school.