The Gay-Straight Alliance club (GSA) is one of many clubs Cam High has to offer, and GSA focuses on the gay community and its acceptance within the Camarillo community.

At Cam High, many members of the LGBTQ+ community are comfortable with their identity, but those who are not can find a safe-environment in GSA’s club meetings.

GSA members believe that the club fosters their identity and allows them to meet other students that are part of the LGBTQ+ community or supportive of it. “GSA is important because I think it’s necessary for people to have a safe place where they feel safe and not be uncomfortable about who they are,” said Olivia Peterson, sophomore.

Levi Klingebiel, sophomore, identifies as a panromantic homosexual and non-binary person, and is a new member of the club. “The community is very nice and comforting,” Klingebiel said, “GSA is a place for me to feel like myself and meet others who feel the same way. It’s nice to know there’s a lot of us here.”

Peterson identifies as bisexual and she feels it is important for everyone to feel comfortable with themselves and others at school. She finds comfort in the fact that GSA enables her to talk about her identity since she feels it is not discussed enough. “I don’t think [Cam High’s staff] discuss gender identity as much as they should,” said Peterson. 

Kayla Stevenson, sophomore and the new president of GSA, said, “[It is] a club where everyone can feel safe. There’s strength in numbers and joining together with other people who feel the same way makes me stronger.” Her goal for this year’s GSA club is to spread messages of hope throughout campus and ensure all students have someone to talk to if they need it.

GSA meets every Wednesday in A-1.