abstract
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In this paper, we examine the patterns of emergence of Gay-StraightAlliances in public high schools in the United States. Theseextracurricular student groups offer safe spaces, social support, andopportunities for activism to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queerand straight students. Combining data on various characteristics of publicschools and state anti-discrimination laws with organizational records onthe formation of Gay-Straight Alliance groups, we consider the conditionsunder which these groups are likely to form, as well as the social barriersto their formation. Using logistic regression and linear regressionanalysis, we isolate a number of characteristics common among those schoolsthat founded the first wave of Gay-Straight Alliances. We find that thelocation of schools, the number of students, region of the country, andsupport groups outside high schools are among those social forces thatpromoted the early adoption of Gay-Straight Alliances in public schools.