GSA Registration Drive set for Sept. 21-30

Iowa Pride Network is kicking off the year with our Annual Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Registration Drive September 21-30! Volunteers will help call all of Iowa’s 400+ schools and 30+ colleges. Last year’s efforts yielded ten newly discovered GSAs and over a dozen additional schools that wanted to start one! GSAs—an alliance of LGBT and straight students working to end homophobia and transphobia—are the core of our work as they reduce physical violence towards LGBT students in schools.

Today, 1 out of 3 LGBT students in Iowa are physically harassed and assaulted and will skip at least two weeks of school this year because they are simply too afraid to go. Luckily, LGBT students who have a GSA in their school are 23% less likely to be physically assaulted and are much more likely to attend school.

The GSA Registration Drive helps IPN focus its efforts on schools who request support starting a GSA and providing resources to schools who want to create safe learning environments for all students. For information on how you can be involved with this important work contact the Iowa Pride Network office at 515-243-1110.