Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools
About Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools
For over three decades, GSAFE has been rooted in the Madison, Wisconsin community as a champion for LGBTQ+ youth in schools. The organization traces its origins back to 1991 when two grassroots volunteer groups—Gays and Lesbians Against Discrimination in Education (GLADE) and Gay and Lesbian Educational Employees (GLEE)—operated from members' homes to address discrimination in schools. After evolving through various organizational phases, GSAFE became an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2006, expanding its reach from South Central Wisconsin to serve the entire state. In 2014, the organization officially adopted the nickname "GSAFE," recognizing that the term "Gay-Straight Alliance" does not fully represent the diverse identities within the LGBTQ+ community it serves. Guided by core values of integrity, honesty, openness, and authenticity, GSAFE is committed to youth leadership, anti-racism, and social justice. The organization holds itself accountable to the young people it serves, its board, funders, partner organizations, and the broader community by honoring commitments and continuously reflecting on and improving its work. GSAFE envisions school communities where all LGBTQ+ youth thrive and works toward a world free of oppression based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and other identities, striving to model this vision through everyday actions.