California gay straight alliance advisors' perceptions of school climate towards LGBTQQ youth

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the perceptions that Gay- Straight Alliance (GSA) advisors have of their school's climate towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth within California schools. The current study considered five domain areas believed to contribute to school climate; namely Training, Advocacy, Staff, Students, and Bullying. Each area was rated and a composite score was obtained to determine an overall school climate score. Lack of training appeared to be largest contributing factor in inhibiting perceptions of a positive school climate for LGBTQQ youth. Schools' efforts to successfully advocate for LGBTQQ students were less than ideal, as was the presence of a supportive student body. A supportive staff and absence of bullying were the highest scoring areas; however, when combined with the other three domain areas, the overall score was too low to support the hypothesis that California GSA advisors report that their schools maintain a positive school climate for LGBTQQ youth.