Demographic Trends and Advocacy Experiences of Gay–Straight Alliance Advisors

Using an ecological model, the individual-, school-, and sociocultural-level characteristics that affect gay–straight alliance (GSA) advisors were examined in the current study. The formation of GSAs has been one way that schools have sought to improve the school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Limited information is available about the demographics and experiences of GSA advisors who lead these clubs. GSA advisors are on the front line of LGBT advocacy in schools. The purpose of this study is to add to the minimal literature on GSA advisors by describing the demographics and the experiences of the largest known sample of GSA advisors in the research literature. In the current study, 262 GSA advisors provided information through a 67-item survey about their demographic characteristics and their experiences advocating for LGBT youth in schools. The results suggested this sample of advisors was a demographically homogenous group. Exploratory factor analysis identified two dimensions (i.e., barriers, facilitators) by which the advisors appeared to define their experiences when advocating for LGBT youth. These two factors accounted for 47.98% of the variance in the advisors’ experiences. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.