GSA Monday Topic: Thoughts for Next Year, Part 3. Other Schools' GSAs - collaboration versus competition

Generally, the nature of inter-school relations is competitive (often the only organized interactions are sport or academic competitions which set students from different schools AGAINST each other.)

But with GSA clubs in multiple schools, there's an opportunity for collaboration between schools and for friendships between students. For community.

Friendships flourish in shared experiences and circumstances. Like campers from different schools who come together over the summer, or summer job co-workers, or probably even the top 10 on American Idol (who'll be on a 50 city tour this summer.)

I don't personally know if other affinity clubs in high schools (like Asian Pacific Islander students, Latino students, and Black students) feel a kinship with their counterpart groups across school loyalties, but I bet they do.

GLSEN reports that there are over 4,000 GSA clubs in schools in the USA as of 2008.

Maybe you could explore the other GSAs in schools around you - after all, they're part of the same GLBTQ and Allied community.

Maybe there are some joint events you could plan with another GSA club at a different (or even rival) school for next year?

Just like a rainbow crosses borders,
those of us who make up the GLBTQ rainbow come from everywhere.
This makes us uniquely positioned to bridge
the traditional conflicts and competition that divide groups of people.
We build our community across ALL other communities.
There's an opportunity in that.

What do you think?