In 1994, a teachers group made up of gay and le***an educators in the Albany region met informally to network, socialize and discuss LGBT issues. In 1995, one of the members of this group ran across GLSTN (Gay, Le***an, Straight, Teacher Network) on the internet, presented the idea to others, and invited Kevin Jennings to speak to the group. Though several joined GLSTN at the national level, and o
ne attended the Northeast Regional GLSTN Conference, there was not enough of a commitment to form a local chapter at this time. In December of 1996, a teacher from Saratoga called together those interested in forming a local GLSTN chapter, and from January to March, a steering committee met to guide the group until elections were held in April. On November 6, 1997, GLSEN NY Capital Region became officially recognized as a GLSEN chartered chapter. What Do We Do Nationally? Nationally, GLSEN works to ensure safe schools for ALL students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. There are over 40 Chapters around the country, which work closely with the national staff of GLSEN to implement programs, and to keep national staff informed of local events. The work that chapters do covers a variety of subjects and issues, from public policy to teacher training to supporting students and educators around the country. What Do We Do Locally? GLSEN Upstate New York is a chapter of the Gay, Le***an and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). We focus our attention on eight counties within the Capital Region of New York including Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington. Our chapter is proud to host quarterly GSA Meet-Ups; participate in Days of Action (including Ally Week, No Name Calling Week, the Day of Silence); participate in Days of Support (including Trans Day of Remembrance, Black History Month, Trans Day of Visibility, Bisexual Awareness Day, among others); organize our annual Breaking the Silence rally; co-sponsor the Alternative Prom, a LGBTQA prom for middle and high school youth; and many other community events. Chapters like ours play an important role in bringing GLSEN's programs and visions to local communities. While some chapters have full-time or part-time staff, most are entirely volunteer-based. We're always looking for new volunteers to help us ensure safe schools for all students.
