Gay Straight Alliance | GSA | History

Contents:

• THE RADIL HISTORY OF THE FIRST GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCETHE RADIL HISTORY OF THE FIRST GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE
• 7 EARLY PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENTBEFORE THE STONEWALL RTS, THE ACTIVISTS HELPED SET THE STAGE FOR ADVANC THE LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.BY: JOSEPH BENNGTON-CASTROUPDATED: JUNE 8, 2023 | ORIGAL: JUNE 1, 2023PY PAGE LKPRT PAGEBILL MRER/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGTHE 1960S SAW SOME MAJOR STRIS LGBTQ ACTIVISM, CLUDG THE GAY “SIP-IN” PROTT AGAST DISCRIMATN OM NEW YORK CY BARS AND THE 1969 STONEWALL RTS. BUT SOME ACTIVISTS TOOK A STAND FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS BEFORE THAT FAMED , OPERATG UNR THE FEAR OF LOSG THEIR JOBS SHOULD THEY BE OUTED OR BEG ARRTED FOR SIMPLY EXISTG HETERONORMATIVE SPAC. THE URAGE OF THE EARLY U.S. QUEER ACTIVISTS SET THE STAGE FOR POLIL VICTORI LGBTQ RIGHTS THE S TO E.WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN (1860–?)JT THREE YEARS BEFORE THE EMANCIPATN PROCLAMATN, WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN WAS BORN THE PROPERTY OF A WHE PLANTATN WOMAN, ACRDG TO REARCH BY CHANNG GERARD JOSEPH. HE GREW UP TO BEE THE FIRST PERSON THE UNED STAT TO FIGHT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY’S RIGHT TO GATHER THROUGH LEGAL AND POLIL CHANNELS. HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST SELF-PROFSED QUEEN OF DRAG.SWANN HELD DRAG BALLS, OR DANCE PARTI WHICH ATTEN (BLACK MEN, MANY FORMER SLAV) WOULD DRS WOMEN’S SILKS AND SATS. ONE OF THE WASHGTON, D.C. PARTI WAS RAID BY POLICE 1888 AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THE DRAGGED-UP ATTEN WERE ARRTED, SWANN CLUD.HE WAS TAED SEVERAL MORE TIM AND NVICTED 1896 FOR THE FALSE CHARGE OF “KEEPG A DISORRLY HOE,” OR A BROTHEL. DURG HIS 10-MONTH SENTENCE, SWANN PETNED PRINT GROVER CLEVELAND FOR A PARDON, WHICH WAS NIED. AFTER HIS RELEASE, SWANN NTUED TO THROW BALLS AS THE QUEEN OF DRAG. THE YEAR OF HIS ATH IS UNCERTA, ALTHOUGH SOME LIST AS 1925, WHEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 66-67 YEARS OLD.HENRY GERBER (1892–1972)IN 1924, HENRY GERBER FOUND THE FIRST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN AMERI: THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHIGO-BASED ANIZATN PRODUCED FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM, THE FIRST AMERIN PUBLITN FOR HOMOSEXUALS.IN 1925, GERBER AND OTHER ANIZATN MEMBERS WERE ARRTED FOR “OBSCENY” AFTER THE POLICE RECEIVED A TIP OM A -FOUNR’S WIFE. THOUGH THE CHARG WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED, FIGHTG THEM ST GERBER HIS LIFE’S SAVGS AND HIS JOB WH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE DISSOLUTN OF HIS ANIZATN.GERBER WENT ON TO LIVE AN UNASSUMG LIFE, WRG ARTICL ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL OPPRSN UNR A PSDONYM, WORKG AND BUILDG MUNY.HARRY HAY (1912–2002)HARRY HAY WAS A MUNIST ACTIVIST WHO -FOUND THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, THE FIRST ENDURG GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN, 1950. HAY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVORCED BY HIS WIFE, FELLOW MUNIST ANA PLATKY, AND EXPELLED OM THE MUNIST PARTY, WHICH NSIRED HIM A SECURY RISK, A FEW YEARS LATER. THE BURGEONG MATTACHE SOCIETY FORCED HAY AND OTHER MUNIST FOUNRS TO STEP DOWN 1953.HAY NTUED HIS QUEER ACTIVISM FOLLOWG HIS EXPULSN. HE WAS ELECTED THE FIRST CHAIR OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAY LIBERATN FRONT—A ANT QUEER RIGHTS GROUP—AFTER THE STONEWALL RTS AND -FOUND THE RADIL FAIRI A LATER. HE SPENT HIS LATER YEARS BEG VOLVED NATIVE AMERIN TWO-SPIR ACTIVISM.DEL MART (1921–2008) AND PHYLLIS LYON (1924–2020)NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYPHYLIS LYON AND DEL MART, CIR 1970.IN 1955, DEL MART AND PHYLLIS LYON -FOUND THE FIRST MAJOR ANIZATN FOR LBIANS THE UNED STAT—THE DGHTERS OF BILIS. THE UPLE SOON LNCHED AND BEME EDORS OF LADR, THE ANIZATN’S NATNAL PUBLITN AND PLATFORM FOR LBIANS TO ANONYMOLY OR OPENLY WRE ABOUT ISSU PERTENT TO THE MUNY. MART AND LYON WERE ALSO THE FIRST LBIAN UPLE TO JO THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN.DGHTERS OF BILIS EVENTUALLY SHUTTERED AS THE QUEER RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEME MORE ANT, BUT MART AND LYON NTUED THEIR ACTIVISM. AFTER MORE THAN FIVE S TOGETHER, THE PAIR WERE THE FIRST OF 90 GAY UPL TO BE ILLEGALLY MARRIED BY SAN FRANCIS’S THEN-MAYOR GAV NEWSOM. THEY WERE MARRIED AGA FOUR YEARS LATER, 2008, AFTER CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. DALE JENNGS (1917–2000)A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, DALE JENNGS BEME A QUEER RIGHTS HERO WHEN HE PROTTED URT A 1951 CHARGE OF SEXUAL SOLICATN LOS ANGEL. AT THE TIME, ENTRAPMENT BY TECTIV POSG AS GAY MEN BARS, PUBLIC PARKS, AND RTROOMS WAS MON. THOSE CHARGED WH SOLICG POLICE OFFICERS FOR SEX TYPILLY PLEAD GUILTY RATHER THAN FACE BEG OUTED AS GAY. JENNGS, AT HAY’S SUGGTN, FOUGHT THE CHARGE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE DISCRIMATORY POLICY. IN 1952, THE JURY ADLOCKED FOR ACQUTAL AND THE JUDGE DISMISSED THE CHARGE.THAT YEAR, JENNGS -FOUND ONE INC., WHICH PRODUCED THE NATNAL GAY JOURNAL ONE MAGAZE. IN 1954, A LOS ANGEL POSTMASTER NFISTED THE MAGAZE FOR BEG ''OBSCENE, LEWD, LASCIV AND FILTHY,” WHICH ONE FOUGHT URT. A LOWER URT LED FAVOR OF THE POSTMASTER BUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, 1958, UNANIMOLY REVERSED THE CISN, UPHOLDG A NSTUTNAL PROTECTN FOR PRO-GAY WRGS.CHRISTE JENSEN (1926–1989)
• GAY-STRAIGHT/GENRS & SEXUALI ALLIANC
• GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANC
• HOW TO START A GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (GSA)
• GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANC, INCLIVE POLICY, AND SCHOOL CLIMATE: LGBTQ YOUTHS’ EXPERIENC OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND BULLYG

THE RADIL HISTORY OF THE FIRST GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCETHE RADIL HISTORY OF THE FIRST GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE

In 2016, we formally changed our name to Genrs & Sexuali Alliance Network (formerly Gay-Straight Alliance Network) after hearg om untls youth lears who unrstand their genrs and sexuali to be uniquely theirs and have moved beyond the labels of gay and straight, and the lims of a bary genr system. When Elie Lamadrid, 18, suggted startg an after-school gay youth club the wter of 1972, Gee Washgton High School, the Washgton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, had been a source of trouble for school admistrators and cy officials. What happened to the Gay Internatnal Youth Society the wake of such schisms is unknown, but seems their story, too, is part of the larger fettg of radil histori, particularly the ntributns of people, as Rivera put her speech, outsi “the whe middle-class club.

7 EARLY PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENTBEFORE THE STONEWALL RTS, THE ACTIVISTS HELPED SET THE STAGE FOR ADVANC THE LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.BY: JOSEPH BENNGTON-CASTROUPDATED: JUNE 8, 2023 | ORIGAL: JUNE 1, 2023PY PAGE LKPRT PAGEBILL MRER/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGTHE 1960S SAW SOME MAJOR STRIS LGBTQ ACTIVISM, CLUDG THE GAY “SIP-IN” PROTT AGAST DISCRIMATN OM NEW YORK CY BARS AND THE 1969 STONEWALL RTS. BUT SOME ACTIVISTS TOOK A STAND FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS BEFORE THAT FAMED , OPERATG UNR THE FEAR OF LOSG THEIR JOBS SHOULD THEY BE OUTED OR BEG ARRTED FOR SIMPLY EXISTG HETERONORMATIVE SPAC. THE URAGE OF THE EARLY U.S. QUEER ACTIVISTS SET THE STAGE FOR POLIL VICTORI LGBTQ RIGHTS THE S TO E.WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN (1860–?)JT THREE YEARS BEFORE THE EMANCIPATN PROCLAMATN, WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN WAS BORN THE PROPERTY OF A WHE PLANTATN WOMAN, ACRDG TO REARCH BY CHANNG GERARD JOSEPH. HE GREW UP TO BEE THE FIRST PERSON THE UNED STAT TO FIGHT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY’S RIGHT TO GATHER THROUGH LEGAL AND POLIL CHANNELS. HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST SELF-PROFSED QUEEN OF DRAG.SWANN HELD DRAG BALLS, OR DANCE PARTI WHICH ATTEN (BLACK MEN, MANY FORMER SLAV) WOULD DRS WOMEN’S SILKS AND SATS. ONE OF THE WASHGTON, D.C. PARTI WAS RAID BY POLICE 1888 AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THE DRAGGED-UP ATTEN WERE ARRTED, SWANN CLUD.HE WAS TAED SEVERAL MORE TIM AND NVICTED 1896 FOR THE FALSE CHARGE OF “KEEPG A DISORRLY HOE,” OR A BROTHEL. DURG HIS 10-MONTH SENTENCE, SWANN PETNED PRINT GROVER CLEVELAND FOR A PARDON, WHICH WAS NIED. AFTER HIS RELEASE, SWANN NTUED TO THROW BALLS AS THE QUEEN OF DRAG. THE YEAR OF HIS ATH IS UNCERTA, ALTHOUGH SOME LIST AS 1925, WHEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 66-67 YEARS OLD.HENRY GERBER (1892–1972)IN 1924, HENRY GERBER FOUND THE FIRST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN AMERI: THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHIGO-BASED ANIZATN PRODUCED FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM, THE FIRST AMERIN PUBLITN FOR HOMOSEXUALS.IN 1925, GERBER AND OTHER ANIZATN MEMBERS WERE ARRTED FOR “OBSCENY” AFTER THE POLICE RECEIVED A TIP OM A -FOUNR’S WIFE. THOUGH THE CHARG WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED, FIGHTG THEM ST GERBER HIS LIFE’S SAVGS AND HIS JOB WH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE DISSOLUTN OF HIS ANIZATN.GERBER WENT ON TO LIVE AN UNASSUMG LIFE, WRG ARTICL ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL OPPRSN UNR A PSDONYM, WORKG AND BUILDG MUNY.HARRY HAY (1912–2002)HARRY HAY WAS A MUNIST ACTIVIST WHO -FOUND THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, THE FIRST ENDURG GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN, 1950. HAY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVORCED BY HIS WIFE, FELLOW MUNIST ANA PLATKY, AND EXPELLED OM THE MUNIST PARTY, WHICH NSIRED HIM A SECURY RISK, A FEW YEARS LATER. THE BURGEONG MATTACHE SOCIETY FORCED HAY AND OTHER MUNIST FOUNRS TO STEP DOWN 1953.HAY NTUED HIS QUEER ACTIVISM FOLLOWG HIS EXPULSN. HE WAS ELECTED THE FIRST CHAIR OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAY LIBERATN FRONT—A ANT QUEER RIGHTS GROUP—AFTER THE STONEWALL RTS AND -FOUND THE RADIL FAIRI A LATER. HE SPENT HIS LATER YEARS BEG VOLVED NATIVE AMERIN TWO-SPIR ACTIVISM.DEL MART (1921–2008) AND PHYLLIS LYON (1924–2020)NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYPHYLIS LYON AND DEL MART, CIR 1970.IN 1955, DEL MART AND PHYLLIS LYON -FOUND THE FIRST MAJOR ANIZATN FOR LBIANS THE UNED STAT—THE DGHTERS OF BILIS. THE UPLE SOON LNCHED AND BEME EDORS OF LADR, THE ANIZATN’S NATNAL PUBLITN AND PLATFORM FOR LBIANS TO ANONYMOLY OR OPENLY WRE ABOUT ISSU PERTENT TO THE MUNY. MART AND LYON WERE ALSO THE FIRST LBIAN UPLE TO JO THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN.DGHTERS OF BILIS EVENTUALLY SHUTTERED AS THE QUEER RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEME MORE ANT, BUT MART AND LYON NTUED THEIR ACTIVISM. AFTER MORE THAN FIVE S TOGETHER, THE PAIR WERE THE FIRST OF 90 GAY UPL TO BE ILLEGALLY MARRIED BY SAN FRANCIS’S THEN-MAYOR GAV NEWSOM. THEY WERE MARRIED AGA FOUR YEARS LATER, 2008, AFTER CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. DALE JENNGS (1917–2000)A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, DALE JENNGS BEME A QUEER RIGHTS HERO WHEN HE PROTTED URT A 1951 CHARGE OF SEXUAL SOLICATN LOS ANGEL. AT THE TIME, ENTRAPMENT BY TECTIV POSG AS GAY MEN BARS, PUBLIC PARKS, AND RTROOMS WAS MON. THOSE CHARGED WH SOLICG POLICE OFFICERS FOR SEX TYPILLY PLEAD GUILTY RATHER THAN FACE BEG OUTED AS GAY. JENNGS, AT HAY’S SUGGTN, FOUGHT THE CHARGE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE DISCRIMATORY POLICY. IN 1952, THE JURY ADLOCKED FOR ACQUTAL AND THE JUDGE DISMISSED THE CHARGE.THAT YEAR, JENNGS -FOUND ONE INC., WHICH PRODUCED THE NATNAL GAY JOURNAL ONE MAGAZE. IN 1954, A LOS ANGEL POSTMASTER NFISTED THE MAGAZE FOR BEG ''OBSCENE, LEWD, LASCIV AND FILTHY,” WHICH ONE FOUGHT URT. A LOWER URT LED FAVOR OF THE POSTMASTER BUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, 1958, UNANIMOLY REVERSED THE CISN, UPHOLDG A NSTUTNAL PROTECTN FOR PRO-GAY WRGS.CHRISTE JENSEN (1926–1989)

” That was how members of STAR uld march alongsi the Young Lords, how members of the Gay Liberatn Front uld stand weekly vigil outsi the Women’s Hoe of Detentn where Black Panthers were jailed, or Huey Newton uld wre of the gay and women’s liberatn movements that “we should une wh them a revolutnary fashn. GSA was origally based on a mol of “Gay Straight Allianc” work the Uned Stat of Ameri, a group of anizatns active at universi and high schools, which gather both LGBT and heterosexual persons wh the aim of social cln of LGBT persons the tnal environment.

In December of the same year, he be a Governg Board member of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and ntu his soc-polil engagement as the first openly gay polician Serbia, actg as a Print of Consultg Body for Civil Society and Human Rights, unr the Executive Board of that polil party. Postal Service, as well as the dissolutn of his went on to live an unassumg life, wrg articl about homosexual opprsn unr a psdonym, workg and buildg Hay (1912–2002)Harry Hay was a munist activist who -found the Mattache Society, the first endurg gay rights anizatn, 1950.

GAY-STRAIGHT/GENRS & SEXUALI ALLIANC

Sourc:William Dorsey Swann: The first "Queen of Drag": PBSFrom slavery to vogug: the Hoe of Swann: Natnal Mms LiverpoolHenry Gerber: The Chigo LGBT Hall of FameHenry Gerber: The Legacy ProjectLGBTQ Activism: The Henry Gerber Hoe, Chigo, IL: Natnal Park ServiceThe Incredible Story of Del and Phyllis: Smhsonian MagazeHow the Dghters of Bilis Organized for Lbian Rights: Smhsonian’s Amerin Women’s History MmWilliam Dale Jenngs, 82, Wrer and Gay Rights Pneer: New York TimRadilly Gay, The Life of Harry Hay: San Francis Public LibraryHarry Hay, John Cage, and the Birth of Gay Rights Los Angel: The New YorkerHarry Hay – Nomee: The Legacy ProjectLife Story: Christe Jensen (1926-1989): New York Historil Society Mm & Library.

GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANC

As of 2007, there were more that 3500 GSAs registered wh the Gay, Lbian, and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN), a natnal anizatn tablished 1990 by Conrd Amy GSA founr Ken Jenngs to advote for the rights and well-beg of LGBTQ stunts. The urt found 303’s ADF’s rightwg advocy extends further, however, as the anizatn has donated to more than a dozen anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortn found that the ADF donated $85, 000 to the Child and Parental Rights Campaign, a group which, acrdg to a Poli report, helped Florida Republins shape the state’s so-lled “don’t say gay” law, which prohibs discsn of sexual orientatn and genr inty group has also sued two school districts Florida over issu relatg to the rights of trans youth. Your rights to ee speech and associatn clu formg a gay-straight alliance at your a feral law lled the Equal Accs Act (EAA), sendary schools that receive feral fundg and allow meetgs of other non-curricular stunt clubs (clubs that don’t directly relate to class at your school) are prohibed om discrimatg agast any stunt group based on s sendary schools are vered by the Equal Accs Act if they allow even one non-curricular club to meet at the school.

HOW TO START A GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (GSA)

(Nati Harnik / AP)Edor’s Note: This article is part of a seri about the gay-rights movement and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall groups have always been about a simple, key objective: Stop all the groups are GSAs—Genr-Sexualy Allianc, though they were origally known as Gay-Straight Allianc—and that was their missn when they first rose to promence the late 1980s. Perhaps, the theory was, jt by existg, the groups uld make gay kids feel ls alone, and that self uld rce suici risk, which was mon among gay teens at the Lipk, a former high-school history teacher, an thor, and a proment LGBTQ-rights advote, was one of the GSA movement’s earlit pneers. ”Before long, siar mp clubs were croppg up— the Boston area and beyond—“simultaneoly” and “spontaneoly, ” says Sharon Tentarelli, who as a high-school junr 1989 found the GSA at the prtig boardg school Phillips Amy A iendship fed through the gay-rights movementGSAs sprang up anilly bee of the prence of lears who felt a need for them, not a natnal learship stcture that swooped and set them up.

Though they varied size and strategy om group to group, they tend to share the same basic visn, one articulated by Kev Jenngs, now 56, then a young high-school history teacher at a Boston-area boardg school lled Conrd Amy: Make gay stunts feel ls alone. ”Kev Jenngs (purple shirt) alongsi members of the Conrd Amy Gay-Straight Alliance at the 1993 March on Washgton for Gay, Lbian, and Bi Equal Rights (Courty of Kev Jenngs)It was a pivotal moment for Jenngs, who went on to -found the LGBTQ-youth advocy anizatn today known as GLSEN (formerly the Gay, Lbian, and Straight Edutn Network), wre var books on LGBTQ jtice schools, and serve as an assistant secretary the Department of Edutn unr Print Barack Obama.

GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANC, INCLIVE POLICY, AND SCHOOL CLIMATE: LGBTQ YOUTHS’ EXPERIENC OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND BULLYG

”People like Jenngs are “the children of the Stonewall Revolutn, ” says Stephen Lane, a public high-school teacher and the thor of the 2018 book No Sanctuary: Teachers and the School Reform That Brought Gay Rights to the Mass.

Wisns has long been a forenner LGBTQ+ advocy, ever sce was the first state to pass anti-discrimatn legislatn for the LGBTQ muny 1982, givg the tle of "the first gay rights state."And while most of Wisns's LGBTQ history has been told through Madison and Milwkee, the Fox Ci has s own rich history of phg for LGBTQ rights.Durg the late 20th century, when LGBTQ people were crimalized and faced large amounts of public backlash, much of the Fox Ci' LGBTQ muny rved out spac for themselv bars and book clubs where they uld safely be their thentic selv.At the turn of the century, the Fox Ci saw a lot more fights for acceptance as members of the muny began phg for support schools and lol ernment."Up until recently there were the pockets of LGBTQ support," the former anti-vlence program director for Diverse & Rilient, Kathy Flor, said.

"A lot of what we saw for support were hom, the bar scene and small bs."Here are five stori that scratch the surface of the Fox Ci' LGBTQ muny and history.The Lambda Lounge: Appleton's first gay barThroughout the late 20th century, gay people primarily found muny through the bar scene, often seen as a safe space for LGBTQ people to socialize.Appleton's first gay bar, the Lambda Lounge, opened downtown 1977 by partners Pl DeB and Gene Koenke.Cdi DeB, Pl's sister, said the two bought the bar om Claire Kempky who ran Doris' Super Bar, a bs wh a reputatn as a hangout spot for gay people.