The Story of a Salt Lake City Gay-Straight Alliance: Identity Work and LGBT Youth

ABSTRACT This paper draws from a larger analysis of literature on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) youth to illustrate how the dominant rhetorical frameworks construct an individual-LGBT student-in identity crises and “at risk.” Taylor and Whittier's (1992) framework for understanding “identity construction” in social movement actors is offered as another perspective from which to analyze the experiences of LGBT youth in schools. As an example, a study about a gay-straight alliance (GSA) in Salt Lake City illustrates how LGBT student political activism is a foundation upon which gay and lesbian students resist heterosexist school climates and construct positive identities. The author suggests supporting LGBT grass-roots activism may be a more fruitful approach to school reform than current programs designed by school personnel to “assist” LGBT students.