U.S. Department of Education Says Gay-Straight Alliances Equal to other Student Clubs; Lambda Legal Urges Schools to Take Note

(Washington D.C., June 14, 2011) - After the U.S. Department of Education released a guidance letter to school districts across the country making clear that gay straight alliances must be allowed to form on an equal basis with other student groups Lambda Legal issued the following statement from Deputy Legal Director Hayley Gorenberg:

"Since 2000, when we won Colín v. Orange Unified School District, which marked the first time a school was ordered under the Equal Access Act to allow a gay-straight alliance to meet on campus, Lambda Legal has been arguing that federal law is very clear that public schools with clubs must allow GSAs on equal terms.

"Unfortunately, too many school districts have not followed along. We recently won another victory for a blocked student GSA in our ongoing lawsuit about antigay, sexist discrimination in a school in upstate New York.

"With today's directive from the Department of Education, we hope that every administration in every school district across the country gets the message loud and clear: If you allow student clubs on campus, then you must allow gay-straight alliances equally."

Read the letter here

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