The Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club, also known as GSA, is a club at Rancho Cucamonga High School that provides LGBTQ+ students a safe space at school.
A typical GSA meeting includes a welcoming group of people and discussions about various LGBTQ+ topics. Meetings provide safe havens for these members and for anyone who wants to join.
“The club is a safe space for queer students and allies and to be a place we can come to relax and be amongst our peers,” the GSA publicist, senior Camden Newbury said. “You can expect a lot of fun discussions about queer art and experienced members have had as queer people.”
The GSA has been a club at RCHS for three years, created in 2020 by seniors Sienna and Lorelai Gango. Due to COVID, the club only began gaining more members during their sophomore year. The club continues to gain more members as the years go on.
“Sienna and Lorelai created GSA at Ruth Musser Middle School,” Vice President Jasmine Montgomery said. “[They] were always in the roles of Co-Presidents in GSA. However, when we went to high school all together, the three of us went into the already existing club, QSU (Queer Student Union). We weren’t super active because of quarantine, so even though as hard as we tried, it was impossible to truly connect on the level that we yearned for.”
QSU was the original club name before it became GSA. Since the people who became the executives were used to GSA instead of QSU, they simply changed it. The meaning and purpose of the club never changed though.
“The goal is to educate and create a safe environment for our student body and for anyone that would like to join, specifically the queer community,” Montgomery said.
Despite the club being for gay individuals, the club makes it very clear it is not just meant for them, but also for allies and others who just simply want to hangout with friends.
“Everything in the club is strictly confidential,” Newbury said. “We are a community built on trust.”
Confidentiality is emphasized in this club by the members. The only time confidentiality would be broken in the club was if a member said anything about hurting themself or others. According to Newbury, once confidentiality is broken, there are measures taken to assure the member’s safety depending on the severity of the situation. Another way confidentiality is broken is if a member tells others outside of the club about something someone has said. Then, they will be politely asked to leave the club and to not attend any more meetings after that point.
Past fundraisers this club has held include selling bracelets, key chains, necklaces, and stuffed animals. They have also held events at Bowlero. Besides Rancho-specific events, the club also has aspirations to attend community events like the Pride Prom held at the University of California, Riverside.
The GSA meets Mondays in G102 from 3:30 – 4 p.m. The club invites all people, LGBTQ+ students and allies alike, to come and meet other students, as well as educate others about LGBTQ+ topics.
Students can follow GSA on Instagram at @rchsgsa_ and follow their Remind @rcgsa2324.
