Shaping Democratic Identities and Building Citizenship Skills Through Student Activism: México's First Gay-Straight Alliance

In democratic societies schools play a large role in helping students learn the values and skills necessary for adult participation in a free and open society. This article is a case study of a group of students who started a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at a private American school in México City. The students' struggle to form and keep their GSA, in light of opposition from a school board member and conservative parents, is analyzed within a framework of critical pedagogy, the goal of which is the expansion of rights for oppressed groups through activist education. The author was co-advisor to the GSA and offers suggestions for others working with similar student groups. This student-led struggle illustrates lessons about democratic values, navigating bureaucracy, effecting social change, and working with others who have diverging opinions.