50 Things to do with Your GSA
1. Advocate for the production of school plays that are sensitive to LGBTQ issues, and incorporate a variety of roles and perspectives. Or write and produce your own.
2. Bring a Friend Day. Invite your friends.
3. Build a library for your GSA. Collect books at a book drive held in conjunction with supportive organizations in your area.
4. Build a wall or oppression, covered with derogatory words, then tear it down.
5. Celebrate National Coming Out Day.
6. Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance.
7. Compose a “Pledge Against Hate” and display a poster-size version of it in a prominent area of your school. Encourage people to sign it.
8. Create a list of famous LGBTQ pioneers and leaders. Ask teachers to post them in the classroom.
9. Create a logo for your GSA.
10. Create an anti-prejudice slogan for your school that could be printed as a bumper sticker and sold in the wider community to raise funds for these efforts.
11. Designate a wall space on or near school grounds where graffiti with a harmonious and unifying message can be written, drawn or painted.
12. Form a student-faculty committee to write "Rules of Respect" or “Civility Code of Conduct” for your school and display the finished set of rules in every classroom.
13. Go on a field trip to an LGBT community event.
14. Go on a hike.
15. Have a BBQ or pool party.
16. Have a Lavender Graduation Party.
17. Have a Parents’ Night. Invite your local chapter of PFLAG.
18. Have an Arts & Crafts night.
19. Have an Awards Ceremony. Recognize GSA members, as well as members of the community, for their work in making your school safer.
20. Hold a "Rock Against Hate" concert, or a dance-a-thon, bike-a-thon, car wash, or battle-of-the-bands and donate the proceeds from ticket sales to underwrite a SAFE ZONE training and other diversity programs for the school.
21. Hold a “Changing of the Guard” Ceremony to welcome new club officers.
22. Hold a Pride Parade on your school’s campus.
23. Hold a T-shirt contest to come up with a logo or slogan like "I Don't Put Up With Put-Downs." The winning T-shirt design could be printed and sold at your school bookstore, at community events, sports competitions, and in local shops.
24. Host a dance or go to gay prom.
25. Host a movie night. See the Resource page for suggestions of movies to watch.
26. Host an exhibition that exemplifies just how normal LGBTQ students are. Advertise “Shocking Homosexual Acts” and display students studying, chatting with friends, eating lunch.
27. Host an LBGTQ student film festival at your school. Invite community groups and local theaters to be co-sponsors.
28. Host an Open House. Invite your principal, teachers and even school board members to attend a meeting.
29. Host an open mic event. Share music, poetry and one-act plays.
30. Initiate classroom discussions on LGBTQ issues, including history/herstory/queerstory, homophobia, transphobia and civil rights.
31. Invite a health educator to facilitate a discussion on safe sex.
32. Invite a motivational speaker who is a recognized LGBTQ rights leader to address an all-school assembly. Videotape the speech and publish an interview with the speaker in the school and local newspapers.
33. Invite another school’s GSA to your meeting or event.
34. Invite LGBT professionals to participate in career day.
35. Invite students to create artwork with a diversity theme. Host a gallery night to display their work.
36. Invite your district attorney, police chief or a representative from the attorney general's office to speak to your school about civil rights, hate crimes and other legal aspects of the fight against prejudice.
37. Lobby your principal, school board, members of Congress for more inclusive policies.
38. Make a Coming Out Stories Quilt.
39. Organize an essay contest whose theme is either a personal experience with homophobia or a success story in the fight against it. Suggest that the winning entries be published in your school newspaper, featured in your town newspaper or highlighted on a local cable program.
40. Participate in Day of Silence.
41. Participate in GSA Network events. Join us on MySpace, Facebook and GLEE.
42. Play a game that tests your knowledge of LGBT history.
43. Publish a newsletter specifically devoted to promoting respect for diversity and publicizing multicultural events. Try to have your local newspaper or community Internet home page do the same.
44. Send a delegation to an LGBT student conference.
45. Survey your school on their attitudes on LGBTQ issues.
46. Teach the teachers about LGBT issues at a Teacher Planning Day.
47. Thank your straight allies during Ally Week.
48. Visit another school’s GSA.
49. Visit your local LGBT community center.
50. Volunteer.