Gender and Sexuality Alliance

What is the Gender and Sexuality Alliance?
Gordon’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance is a Middle School student group facilitated by Gordon faculty and staff. It meets once a week during lunch and recess. There are also opportunities for social events outside of the school day.
 
Who can participate?
The Gender and Sexuality Alliance is open to Middle School students who want to:
• work toward a more inclusive community
• learn about gender and sexuality diversity in an affirming group
• support all of their peers with compassion, confidentiality, and action
 
There are no requirements to attend and no formal membership roster. Every student is welcome to attend as frequently, or infrequently, as their schedule and interest level allows.
 
What happens?
At meetings, the faculty and staff facilitators lead participants through conversations, presentations, community building activities, and self-reflection. The history and culture of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex communities are subjects for conversation, as well as the contributions of straight allies. As with Gordon’s Common Ground program, the broad goal is to facilitate positive identity development by helping students advocate for themselves and their peers, and developing leadership and empowerment skills.
 
Throughout the course of the academic school year, members of this group may choose to share about their personal experience of gender and sexuality. Confidentiality, including membership and conversations within the group, is an expectation of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Adult facilitators will also honor confidentiality unless there is a situation involving potential danger to the self or others.
 
The Gender and Sexuality Alliance may represent Gordon at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s annual spring conference and attend the Rhode Island Pride Festival. In addition, the group helps organize the annual Day of Silence and Noise. Students also have opportunities to identify and execute their own social action opportunities with the help of their peers and the adult facilitators.