What is a GSA?
A Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA), Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA), Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA), Queer Intersectional Alliance (QIA), Rainbow, or Pride Club is a student-run club, typically in a high school or middle school, which provides a safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation, and work to end homophobia and transphobia. Many GSAs function as a support group and provide safety and confidentiality to students who are struggling with their identity as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning.
In addition to support, some GSAs work on educating themselves and the broader school community about sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Other GSAs are activist clubs and have worked to get LGBTQ issues represented in the curriculum, LGBTQ related books in the library, and progressive non-discrimination policies implemented at a district level. All of these different types of GSAs also provide a social outlet for LGBTQ students and their straight allies.
For more information and resources about GSAs, please visit the GSA Network, a nonprofit organization that supports students in starting and maintaining active GSAs. To learn more about how to start a GSA or how to make your GSA virtual, visit their websites:
We See You!
You’re going to get through this. Stay strong, stay safe, take care of yourself and one another, and reach out when you need help. — Safe Schools Project
2023-2024 GSA’s, QSA’s, SAGA’s, QIA, Rainbow, and Pride Clubs
Santa Cruz County
Alianza Charter School QSA (6th-8th grades) and Rainbow Club (4th-5th grades)
Co-Advisor: Jen Salinas-Holz / Pronouns: she/her/ella / Jen_Salinas-Holz@pvusd.net / (831) 786-2100
Co-Advisor: Evelyn Veal / Pronouns: she/her/ella / evelyn_veal@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6333
Aptos High School “Rainbow Alliance” GSA
Advisor: Erika Cobain / Pronouns: she/her / erika_cobain@pvusd.net / (831) 728-7832
Aptos Junior High School “Pride Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Kerry Gil / Pronouns: she/her / kerry_gil@pvusd.net / (831) 728-7834
Co-Advisor: Stefanie Bishop / Pronouns: she/her / stefanie_bishop@pvusd.net / (831) 728-7834
Co-Advisor: Julia Lipari / Pronouns: she/her / julia_lipari@pvusd.net / (831) 728-7834
Branciforte Middle School “The Muskequeers” GSA
Co-Advisor: Rhiannon Soto / Pronouns: she/her / rhiannonsoto@sccs.net / (831) 429-3883
Branciforte Small Schools Campus: Alternative Family Education, Ark Independent Studies, Costanoa High QSA
Advisor: Sean Crossno / Pronouns: they/them / seancrossno@sccs.net / (831) 429-3898
Ceiba College Preparatory Academy “Gender and Sexuality Alliance” QSA
Advisor: Matt Grist / Pronouns: he/him / matt.grist@ceibaprep.org / (831) 740-8800
Cesar Chavez Middle School “The Wonder Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Angelica Flores / Pronouns: She/her / angelica_fores@pvusd.net / (831) 761-7699
Co-Advisors: Veronica Fernandez / Pronouns: She/her / veronica_fernandez@pvusd.net / (831) 761-7699
C.T. English Middle School “Minority Support Group” GSA
Co-Advisor: Helen O’dea / Pronouns: she/her / h.odea@lpjusd.us
Co-Advisor: Randy Cohen / Pronouns: he/him / r.cohen@lpjusd.us
Cypress High School “Gender and Sexuality Alliance” GSA
Advisor: Nick Falco Elias / Pronouns: he/him / nelias@santacruzcoe.org / (831) 477-0302
Delta Charter High School Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA)
Advisor: Jamie Cutter / Pronouns: she/her / jcutter@deltaschool.org / (831) 477-5212
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School GSA
Advisor: Jessa Kirk / Pronouns: / jkirk@kirby.org / (831) 423-0658
Harbor High School “Queer Straight Alliance” QSA
Advisor: Elaina Ramer / Pronouns: she/they / ElainaRamer@sccs.net
Lakeview Middle School QSA
Co-Advisor: Jen Salinas-Holz / Pronouns: she/her/ella / jen_salinas-holz@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6455
Co-Advisor: Anne Faustina / Pronouns: she/her / anne_faustina@pvusd.net / 831-728-6455
Mission Hill Middle School “Pride Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Christy Fairbain / Pronouns: she/her / christinafairbairn@sccs.net / (831) 429 3860
Co-Advisor: Steve Perez / steveperez@sccs.net / (831) 429-3860
Mount Modonna School “Trail Mix“ GSA
Co-Advisor: Lisa Catterall / Pronouns: she/her / lisa.catterall@mountmadonnaschool.org / (408) 847-2717
Co-Advisor: Manjula Stokes / Pronouns: she/hers / manjula.stokes@mountmadonnaschool.org / (408) 847-2717
New Brighton Middle School QSA
Co-Advisor: Erica Stack / Pronouns: she/her / estack@suesd.org / (831) 464-5660
Co-Advisor: Mx.Whit / Pronouns: they/them / ewhitwell@suesd.org / (831) 464-5660
Pacific Collegiate School (PCS) QIA: Queer Intersectional Alliance
Advisor: Andrea Roth / Pronouns: she/her / andrea.roth@pcscharter.org
Pájaro Middle School “Rainbow Alliance Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Emely Carmona / Pronouns: they/she / emely_carmona@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6238
Co-Advisor: Arnold Figueroa / Pronouns: he/him / (831) 728-6238
Co-Advisor: Karina Alvarez / Pronouns: She/her / Karina_Alvarez@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6238
Co-Advisor: Ebelin Mata / Pronouns: She/her / Ebelin_mata@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6238
Pajaro Valley High School GSA
Co-Advisor: Julie Brusa / Pronouns: she/her / julie_brusa@pvusd.net / (831) 728-8102
Rolling Hills Middle School “Equality Club” QSA
Co-Advisor: Laura Reeve/ Pronouns: she/her / laura_reeve@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6341
Co-Advisor: Roberto Zamora-Rocha/ Pronouns: he/him / roberto_zamora-rocha@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6341
San Lorenzo Valley Middle School GSA
Advisor: Rex Olivieri / Pronouns: he/him / rolivieri@slvusd.org
San Lorenzo Valley High School “Gender and Sexuality Alliance” GSA
Co-Advisor: Jen Ruby / Pronouns: she/her / jruby@slvusd.org
Co-Advisor: Sarah Young / Pronouns: she/her / syoung@slvusd.org
Santa Cruz High School “Rainbow Alliance” GSA
Advisor: Conor O’Brien / Pronouns: he/him / conorobrien@sccs.net
Scotts Valley Middle School “Pride Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Abbie Stevens / Pronouns: she/her / astevens@scottsvalleyusd.org / (831) 438-0610
Co-Advisor: Lila Harte / Pronouns: she/her / lharte@scottsvalleyusd.org / (831) 438-0610
Scotts Valley High School Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club (SAGA) GSA
Advisor: Savannah Wohlstatter / Pronouns: She/her / swohlstattar@scottsvalleyusd.org / (831) 439-9555
Shoreline Junior High School “SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Acceptance)”
Co-Advisor: Rachel Dysart / Pronouns:she/her / rdysart@losd.ca / (831) 475-6565
Soquel Elementary School “Rainbow Club” GSA
Co–Advisor: Jessica Hassani / Pronouns: she/her / jhassani@suesd.org / (831) 464-5655
Co-Advisor: Nancy Willard / Pronouns: she/they / (831) 454-6488
Soquel High School QSA
Advisor: Carina Wandel / Pronouns: she/her / cwandel@sccs.net / (831) 429-3909
Vine Hill Elementary “Rainbow Bears” GSA
Co-Advisor: Hannah Walsh / she/her / hwalsh@scottsvalleyusd.org / (831) 438-1090
Watsonville Charter School of the Arts “Chameleon” GSA
Advisor: Angela Rebol / Pronouns: she/her / angela_rebol@pvusd.net / (831) 728-8123
Watsonville High School Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA/GSA)
Co-Advisor: Robert Pelz / Pronouns: he/him / robert_pelz@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6390
Co-Advisor: Katrina Johnson / Pronouns: she/her / katrina_johnson@pvusd.net / (831) 728-6390
Monterey County
Carmel High School “Be Yourself Club”
Co-Advisor: Beni / Pronouns: they/them / kbenidettino@carmelunified.org / (831) 624-1821
Co-Advisor: Phil Crawford / Pronouns: he/they / pcrawford@carmelunified.org / (831) 624-1821
Co-Advisor: Bridget Randazzo / Pronouns: she/her / brandazzo@carmelunified.org / (831) 624-1821
Co-Advisor: Adriana Giacomelli / Pronouns: she/her / agiacomelli@carmelunified.org / (831) 624-1821
El Sausal Middle School “Be Yourself Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Mark Beering / Pronouns: he/him / mark.beering@salinasuhsd.org / (831) 796-7200
Co-Advisor: Jeanne Leone / Pronouns: she/her / jeanne.leone@salinasuhsd.org / (831) 796-7200
Harden Middle School “Be Yourself Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Erika Lynn Kreeger / Pronouns: they/them / erikalynn.kreeger@salinasuhsd.org
Co-Advisor: Jennifer Gilsdorf / Pronouns: she/her / jennifer.gilsdorf@salinasuhsd.org
Monterey High School “Queer And Allies Club” GSA
Advisor: Lauren McMercury / Pronouns: she/her / lmcmercury@mpusd.net / (831) 392-3801
North Salinas High School “LOVE Club” GSA
Advisor: Cathie Culver / Pronouns: she/her / cathie.culver@salinasuhsd.org / (831) 796-7500
Rancho San Juan High School “Be Yourself Club” GSA
Co-Advisor: Andrew Jolliff / Pronouns: he/him / andrew.jolliff@salinasuhsd.org / (831) 273-7700
Co-Advisor: Adriana Reyes / she/her/ella / adriana.reyesnunez@salinasuhsd.org / (831) 273-7700
Salinas High School “Be Yourself Club” GSA
Advisor: Jasmin Ramirez / Pronouns: she/they / jasmin.ramirez@salinasuhsd.org / (831) 796-7400
Stevenson School “Gender & Sexuality Alliance” GSA
Advisor: Ms. Allen Garner / Pronouns: she/her / agarner@stevensonschool.org / (831) 625-8310
York School Sexuality and Gender Equality (SAGE)
Co-Advisor: Allison Lahl / she/her / alahl@york.org / (831) 372-7338
Co-Advisor: Christina Nielsen / she/her / cnielsen@york.org / (831) 372-7338
Subject to change due to staffing changes within the school system. For more information, contact QYTF at email or (831) 427-4004.
Compiled by the Safe Schools Project, a program of the Queer Youth Task Force (QYTF). Special thank you to Aneri Pillai, Fall 2023 Intern of the Safe Schools Project and Student, UC Santa Cruz and to Cathie Culver, North Salinas High School GSA Advisor for their research and work on the 2023-2024 GSA List.
Last updated March 4, 2024