By Louis Curschmann

CVU– The GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) is a club for members of the LGBTQ community and their allies. Lots of schools, from middle schools to colleges, have GSAs, although sometimes they’re called different names. GSA gives opportunities for the LGBTQ comunity to feel free and to be able to socialize without getting made fun of or judged. The GSA also sets up events to celebrate LGBTQ community pride in Vermont and beyond.

The GSA here at CVU gives a place for people to be open about their sexuality and/or gender. It helps them feel comfortable as a community; if a person is struggling with being judged or picked on, the community picks them up higher than they were before they were down.

The GSA gives opportunities for LGBTQ youth to show their pride. On October 18, 2021, Burlington High School hosted a drag pageant as a half time show in a football game where people could dress in drag and show their pride to a crowd. Every June at CVU High School, there’s also a pride parade where community members can eat food, hear some speeches, get covered in stickers/face paint and more.

The GSA also supports other state or national LGBTQ communities that have more restrictions than the community here at CVU. For example, in 2021 they wrote letters in protest to the government about their strict non gay-friendly laws. They also have video meetings with other GSAs to show support and talk about the problems they are having there and how other GSAs could help with those issues. They also write letters to support other GSAs that don’t have the same freedom in the school as we do here at CVU.