Fair treatment for some students cannot be made subject to the vote of a majority of other students. The ACLU has helped make this principle a reality for students at high schools who have organized a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) to promote acceptance for lesbian and gay students. The ACLU intervened at schools where GSAs were denied equal rights and advised school officials statewide of the need to change rules for student-organized clubs that may result in discrimination. We explained that federal law makes it clear that student clubs promoting tolerance for gay students are entitled to the same resources as other clubs.

At Federal Way High School, the student government voted down the GSA’s request to be recognized as a club. Student government status is important because it allows the club to do fundraising at school and to advertise its events through daily announcements and posters. No other club had been denied recognition by the student government. As a result of advocacy by the ACLU, school officials in March 2003 notified the GSA that it would receive equal access to school resources. Similarly, the GSA at Puyallup High School gained full-fledged club status after the ACLU notified the principal that it must be given the same access to resources that other non-curricular clubs have at the school. The GSA can now hold assemblies, publicize activities at school, and seek student government funding.

Corrigan Gommenginger, founder of the Federal Way High School Gay-Straight Alliance, meets with ACLU staff attorney Aaron Caplan.