South Fayette School Board approves Gay-Straight Alliance for middle school
South Fayette School Board approved a proposal Tuesday for a Gay-Straight Alliance to be established on a trial basis at the district’s middle school.
Superintendent Kenneth Lockette and Kristin Deichler, the principal of the middle school, recommended the board allow the club to be part of the middle school’s offerings. Deichler told the board that “20 committed students” had approached her about starting the group.
“There is a commitment to developing it and bringing it about,” Deichler said.
The high school has a similar organization. It was approved on a 7-2 vote, with board members Todd Petrillo and Arik Quam dissenting.
One resident voiced objections before the board voted. Lindsey Bagwell told the board that she also opposed the formation of the Gay-Straight Alliance at the high school.
She said that she was “saddened that this is even being considered,” and that issues surrounding homosexuality “need to be talked about at home and not at school.”
The website for the GSA Network, an advocacy group for LGBTQ issues, says Gay-Straight Alliance groups are “student-run organizations … which provide a safe place for students to meet, support each other, and talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.”