LGBTQ Organizing Beyond “Low-Hanging Fruit”:A Qualitative Examination of Safe Schools Coalitions in the United States South

ABSTRACT

Safe schools coalitions (SSCs) are community-based organizations aimed at changing school policy and broader communities to be more responsive to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. Despite the prevalence of these coalitions, little is known about their organizing work. Using case study methods, semistructured interviews were conducted with 9 SSC leaders in 3 states in the South. Five themes identified were: formation and goals; organizational barriers and challenges; Southern cultural context; relationships with national organizations; and innovation. Best practices when working with SSCs in similarly conservative, underresourced contexts were developed based upon the analysis.

KEYWORDS:

• Community-based organizations
• community organizing
• GLBT issues
• LGBTQ youth
• organizational partnerships
• safe schools coalitions
• South

Acknowlegdment

We thank the Southern Poverty Law Center, and in particular Sam Wolfe and the LGBT Rights Project, for providing resources that assisted in the data collection. In addition, we thank the participants for agreeing to be interviewed and for the important work they do on behalf of marginalized youth in the Deep South.