Victory! Gay-Straight Alliance Can Meet At New Mexico High School

You spoke up for equality, took action online and in New Mexico and were heard: Students at Clovis High School have won their fight to have a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) on campus!

In a letter dated May 4th,  the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico heard from Cuddy & McCarthy, LLP, the law firm representing the Clovis Municipal School District, saying that the superintendent had instructed Clovis High School's principal to allow the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) on campus as a non-curricular club.

“Please consider this letter as the “approval” you requested and permission for G/SA to immediately begin holding meetings after school at Clovis High School… Supt. Myers has directed the principal of Clovis High School to immediately contact the G/SA “applicants” and make arrangements for the G/SA to begin holding its meetings at the time and place requested in the application.”

This change is effective immediately, meaning that Clovis High School student Steven De Los Santos could begin to hold meetings as soon as Friday.

The decision does not, however, change the Clovis School Board's decision to stop all non-academic clubs from meeting during school hours. The ACLU noted that they will have to keep watch on further developments.

Nearly 2,000 Change.org members sent e-mails to Clovis officials in support of allowing a GSA on campus through an online petition, led by none other than Nikki Peet, the Texas high school student who won a similar battle in March.

Micah McCoy from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico told Change.org, "Steven and the other students at Clovis High School who have been fighting for the GSA are absolutely thrilled they will be allowed to have the GSA on campus. Thanks to the wide level of support that Change.org demonstrated."

Since we  first broke the story last week of Steven De Los Santos and his struggle to have a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) approved at Clovis High School, the local and national community has responded with an outpouring of support.

Jesse Lopez, President of  Albuquerque Pride in New Mexico, which helped raise awareness with a rally in Clovis this past weekend, told Change.org, "We owe it to our youth and community to get involved for safe schools and help empower people - Change.org sparked the movement and brought it to light here and helped us mobilize."

Thanks to the mobilizing efforts of the local community, a new LGBT Task Force has been created by students at Eastern New Mexico University to help continue the dialogue in Clovis. This new coalition already has had their first meeting and hopes to provide resources to Clovis High School, and other schools in the area, on creating safe schools.

With the support of local community members and across the country standing up for Steven De Los Santos, taking action online through Change.org and locally, students at Clovis High School have started the process of creating inclusive safe spaces for all students.

Photo credit: ACLU-New Mexico