This document discusses strategies for activism and changing school climate through non-violent means. It references quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about overcoming hate with love and light. It then lists examples of activism at different schools in response to racist or anti-LGBTQ incidents. The rest of the document provides guidance and exercises for student groups to cultivate leadership skills, identify challenges, and develop collaborative solutions and action plans through respectful discussion and teamwork. Resources for LGBTQ youth organizations are also listed.

1. Activism and Changing
School Climate
Unity in Opposition
Jill Barker M.S.

2. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness
multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength To Love, 1963

3. Palisades Charter High Graffiti & Chalk
https://lauranicolediamond.com/2016/03/14/lets-grow-our-light/
https://revolution-news.com/kkk-graffiti-spurs-high-school-student-walk-out-in-california/

5. Santa Monica High - Westboro Baptist
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?
v=z1mhPVs0llI

6. Leadership
Exercise
Identifying individual leadership
qualities and strengths in your GSA
Break into small groups &
create a list of each group
member’s individual
leadership qualities &
strengths.
Review the lists together.
How might these
individual strengths be
used together in a group?
How might they be woven
into various leadership
structures? Pros/cons of
different leadership
structures.

7. Organizing for
Action
Using Anger and Hope to Move
Towards Action
Break into small groups and have each
group list 2-3 challenges to the organizations
cohesiveness or in the school community.
Share out the challenges identified by the
small groups.
“Brainstorm” as a whole group possible
solutions to challenges. Create a list of
proposed solutions.

8. Action
3 step map to common goals
Create a three step list to implement a
solution. How will individual qualities and
strengths be utilized to take action?
Wrap up with each group member
sharing leadership qualities they see in
each other.
Reflect on new ideas generated from
workshop.

9. Resources for Leadership & Organizing
www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/2229-youth-activists-
toolkit
www.glsen.org/students
https://gsanetwork.org/files/resources/Leadership_0.pdf
https://gsanetwork.org/resources/gsa-actions-events/conducting-school-survey

12. Some Organizations with Resources for
LGBTQIA+ Youth
GLSEN Gender Spectrum GLAAD
PFLAG. Matthew Shepard Foundation Point Foundation
ACLU Center for Lesbian Rights The Trevor Project
Lambda Legal The Lavender Effect Campus Pride
LifeWorks - Models of Pride Gay Men’s Chorus LA/Alive Music Project
The Center for Transhealth Youth & Development/CHLA
Colors LGBTQ Youth Counseling Center Bienestar
JQSA You Can Play Project After Ellen