Barstow High School students form Gay-Straight Alliance

[Ian David]

February 12, 2007

BARSTOW - While part of the Barstow High School student body ate lunch on Friday, a new club met in a classroom. About 25 students socialized, complained about parents, compared iPods and cell phones and planned T-shirts, fund-raisers and community service - men and women, freshmen through seniors, and the word "gay" was only mentioned once.

Students at Barstow High School recently started a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), a student group that brings together gay and straight students to raise awareness of gay, lesbian and transgender issues and encourages tolerance among students of different life-styles.

"We're really about people coming together and talking," Rebakah Michelson, the faculty advisor for the GSA club, said. "Our goal is to just make everybody feel comfortable with who they are."

Michelson, who teaches freshmen English at the high school, was asked by students from her class to serve as the faculty advisor. To start a club at Barstow High School, students must find a faculty advisor, write a constitution, get approval from the Associated Student Body and then be approved by the school board. The board unanimously approved the club at the Jan. 23 school board meeting. To become a member of the club, Michelson said students had to receive per mission from the parents

More:
http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2007/02/barstow-high-school-students-form-gay.html

[triakis36]

1. I have friends from Barstow

They'll be happy to know this. It's good to know things are moving forward. Though.. it says at the end of the blog that students have to get permission from their parents first before joining.

[Meeker Morgan]

2. I went to high school way back when.

How does a gay-straight alliance raise awareness and so forth?

Host parties? Sponsor workshops?