January 1, 2020

January 2020 Spruce Grove What’s Happening!
 
The Spruce Grove GSA Society respectfully acknowledges that we are situated in Treaty 6 territory, traditional lands of First Nations and Métis people. 
 
What’s Happening!

• It’s our 2nd ANNIVERSARY! We started off our GSA two years ago with 7 kids. We now have had 64 kids hang out with our GSA over the past two years! Our kids walk from around Spruce Grove, they drive in from the country, drive in or take the bus from Edmonton, drive from Alberta Beach, Stony Plain and surrounding municipalities. As we enter into our third year of our GSA, we have had kids who have been with us for most of their high school careers! As they go off to different colleges, universities, and provinces, I hope they will remember what they helped to create here in Spruce Grove. They were the first to start a Community GSA, the first youth to bravely walk in the Stony Plain Rotary Parade, where no LGBTQ2S group had ever walked before. They were the first to stand with our Mayor and Council and help a large group of volunteers paint a Rainbow crosswalk. These amazing youth, are now turning into phenomenal adults are changemakers! They will go on to do amazing things, because they have been provided with the resources through school and life to succeed.
• Our GSA is slightly early this month due to a schedule change! 

We are meeting on January 3rd & January 24th

• Since it is our 2nd Anniversary, there will absolutely be cake! There is a Rainbow Ice Cream cake from Dairy Queen and a homemade chocolate cake.
• Adults, parents, and caregivers are welcome to join us for cake and learn about our GSA for the first part of the evening. 

Afterwards it’s back to our normal GSA and our teens turn to hang out!

• There has been an on-going request for Just Dance at our GSA! To kick off the New Year we will be doing Just Dance GLOW in the DARK!

 
Topics:

• Labels! Do we need them?

Labeling yourself is a personal choice. Your sexuality is fluid, it changes. If you feel that labeling yourself feels right for you, then that’s great! You be you! But sometimes labels aren’t for everyone. Sometimes the only places labels belong are on clothes. 

• We are ENVIROMENTALY FRIENDLY! 

DON’T forget to bring a re-useable water bottle.
 

Events
 
Hours for 2020
January 3rd & 24th            
February 14th & 28th         
March 13th & 27th                                 
April 10th & 24th
May 15th & 29th   
June XX & 26th
Do you have an important event coming up?
 
Our LGBTQ2S History
A gay-straight alliance (GSA) or gender sexuality alliance / queer -straight alliance (QSA), can be defined as a youth-led, school- or community-based group that provides a safe, welcoming, and affirming physical and emotional space for LGBTQ2S youth, as well as those who are who are questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, children from LGBTQ2S families, and youth who want to be allies of their peers. 
 
The high school GSA movement began in Massachusetts 1988. During that school year, GSAs were established at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts and at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Within 12 months, the first public high school GSA was founded by students at Newton South High in Newton, Massachusetts.
Despite the initial success in Massachusetts, the GSA movement has never been free of controversy or opposition.
 
The first GSA in Alberta started in the late 1990’s at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School in Red Deer.
 
Many sexual and gender minority children do well in their school environments and are proud of who they are. They are able to build positive and productive coping strategies, be role models and sources of support for other LGBTQ2S+ students.
GSAs/QSAs are student groups found in some K–12 schools, Universities, Colleges, and Communities. These groups create supportive and safe environments for sexual and gender minorities and their allies. Schools that choose to start a GSA/QSA:

• are looking to create a safer space
• reduce bullying
• support human rights related to sexual orientation and gender diversity
• guarantee the right for youth to start the group in their safe space, have meetings, have an adult supervisor

 
If you want to start a GSA/QSA, take the following steps:

• find a teacher, staff, or sponsor
• meet with administration
• find other like-minded folks who may want to help start up the group
• pick a meeting space
• advertise the group
• plan and hold a first meeting
• set up ground rules/group agreements

 
 Our Community – Help our GSA grow together!
 
We are actively searching for volunteers within our community!
Are you able to help set up a fundraising committee?
Are you someone who would like to work with our LGBTQ2S youth once or twice a month? 
We are looking for folks with different abilities that can help out in the GSA. 
 
How can you contribute?
Our community is filled with folks with amazing people that care about youth and their surroundings. Our GSA is a Community GSA, help us grow together! 
 
Some of the ways you can fabulous:

• Donate food to our youth GSA meetings our kids eat a lot of food!
• parades or resource fairs)

 
Contributions of any size will be used to support youth through the purchase of materials that will be used at our meetings, as well as to fund excursions to special events within the community. They will also support the GSA as a whole by helping us with operational expenses. 
We are a 100% volunteer-run organization; all funds will go to ensuring we can continue to offer services to youth.
 
Important Phone Numbers
 
  RCMP
911
780-962-2222 Spruce Grove 24 hours
780-968-7267 Stony Plain 24 hours
 
Kids Help Phone
1-800-668-6868
Text CONNECT 686868
kidshelpphone.ca/what-is-kids-help-phone
24 hour, anonymous phone counseling for children and youth, 100% confidential
they do not trace calls, they do not have call display, you do not have to tell them your name. You can 
connect by phone or mobile app, or through the website.
 
Translifeline
http://www.translifeline.org
The Hotline:
US: 1-877-565-8860
Canada: 1-877-330-6366
Need to talk? Call! Our peer support hotline is run by and for trans people.
 
Website
sprucegrovegsasociety.org
On our website you can find all of our information such as dates of our GSA, tips on Safe Spaces, health, recognizing abuse and Resources. 
 
www.facebook.com/sprucegrovegsa/
www.instagram.com/sprucegrovegsa/?hl=en