Our Mission

The purpose of Georgia Safe Schools Coalition (GSSC) is to eliminate heterosexism and homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying in Georgia schools by educating school personnel on issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQQ) students and families. GSSC works to address the intersections among various systems of oppression, understanding that one cannot eradicate transprejudice and heterosexism without simultaneously working to end all forms of injustice. GSSC will serve as a resource for Georgia educators as they strive to foster a safe and affirming school climate for all students. In doing so, GSSC seeks to improve academic achievement and engender positive social growth among Georgia’s youth.

Who We Are

Georgia Safe Schools Coalition is a partnership of educators, community organizations, and safe school activists dedicated to raising awareness about issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth and families. GSSC works with educators and community organizations to help Georgia’s schools become safe and affirming environments for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/ expression.  We do this by:

· Providing training, support, and resources to Georgia schools, counselors, administration, faculty and staff

· Raising awareness among families, parents and members of the community

· Providing resources to help support safer, more affirming schools at the local, district, and state level

· Consulting with schools and personnel in developing safer, more positive school climates

· Offering support and resources to Gay-Straight Alliances

Contact Us

Anneliese A. Singh, Ph.D., LPC, NCC is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services at The University of Georgia. She received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Georgia State University in 2007. Her clinical, research, and advocacy interests include: LGBTQ youth, Asian American/Pacific Islander counseling and psychology, multicultural counseling and social justice training, qualitative methodology with historically marginalized groups (e.g., people of color, LGBTQ, immigrants), feminist theory and practice, and empowerment interventions with survivors of trauma. Dr. Singh is the President of the Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (ALGBTIC) where one of her Presidential Initiatives was to develop Competencies for working with transgender clients in counseling. She is the recipient of the 2007 Ramesh and Vijaya Bakshi Community Change Award and the 2008 O’Hana award from Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) for her organizing work with LGBTQ youth. She is currently conducting participatory research and interventions in middle school aimed at reducing anti-LGBTQ bullying and violence. E-mail Dr. Singh at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Maru Gonzalez, M.Ed., is an elementary school counselor and dedicated safe schools activist. As a school counseling intern, she organized an LGBTQQ Youth 101 training for school personnel and helped revitalize the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. Maru has collaborated with Georgia State University’s Center for School Safety to provide support and resources to other GSAs in the metro-Atlanta area. She has also conducted research on cyber-bullying as it relates to LGBTQQ youth and on the experiences of school counselors as advocates for LGBTQQ students. In addition, Maru lends her time to YouthPride as a group facilitator for the Teen Forum. Maru’s passion for safe schools has taken her from Atlanta to Capitol Hill where she lobbied members of Congress to vote on behalf of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, higher funding for education and a resolution for the National Day of Silence. In addition to activism at a grass roots level, she delivered commentary as a Political Contributor for the CNN Newsroom with Rick Sanchez during the 2008 presidential election. Maru can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dr. Corey W. Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services and an affiliate faculty member with the Qualitative Research Program and the Institute for Women’s Studies. Dr. Johnson’s qualitative inquiry (ethnography and collective memory work) focuses attention on non-dominant populations, providing important insight into the discriminatory practices and experiences that marginalized people often encounter in mainstream settings.  He sees this research as complimentary to both his classroom instruction and his professional service, and uses advocacy, activism, civic-engagement, service-learning and community partnerships to create unique learning opportunities for individuals and institutions.  This synergy is particularly relevant as it increases the quality, level, and number of services offered in a given community. He has received grant funding to create a collaborations between faculty in Recreation and Leisure Studies, Counseling Psychology and two state agencies (Georgia State Corrections and Athens-Clarke County Schools), to assess and meet the needs of their staff in relation to creating safe environments for LGBTQ identity development for youth. He has been honored with the SPRE Leadership for the Future Award, the Volunteer Educator of the Year Citation for the State of California’s Recreation and Park Association, the UGA College of Education’s Early Faculty Career AwardHe is also the chair of GLOBES, UGA’s LGBTQ faculty/staff organization.

Mr. Jesse McNulty, M.Ed., is a teacher in his 14th year of teaching at-risk youth (6th-12th grade); among a variety of school settings; including students placed in alternative schools, shelters, and group homes; and across diverse demographics. He has a Master's of Education in Special Education - Behavioral Disorders; with add-ons in interrelated and gifted. He engages in progressive community involvement in hopes of the creation of a more beloved community, especially for at-risk youth. An advocate for queerly situated youth, he volunteers and affiliates with organizations that strive to meet their unique and pressing needs. He is a member of Council for Exceptional Children, Georgia Association of Educators, Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. [A.K.A.] Sir Jesse of Decatur, he is a weekly volunteer at YouthPride, facilitating the discussion group TransandFriends; and is one of the Feminist Outlawz, who collaboratively engage in street-level activism, using feminist art. He has recieved public service awards from LaGender Inc., Unity Fellowship Church, and SomeOne Cares REAL/T and YouthPride. He is excited to have many more years of teaching ahead, and is prepared to contribute time and talent to the Georgia Safe Schools Coalition for at least as long! E-mail Mr. McNulty at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Austin Laufersweiler is GLSEN’s first-ever Student Advocate of the Year and a fierce warrior for social justice. In the face of a hostile school climate, he created Students Promoting Equality and Justice Through a Respectful and United Movement (SPECTRUM). As president, Austin has built his platform on activism and systemic change, successfully launching several campaigns including the Day of Silence, Think B4 You Speak and a modified Safe Space training for staff members. He has taken his message for safer schools to college classrooms, town hall meetings and academic symposiums, calling on educators to step up as advocates for LGBTQQ youth. Operating from an anti-oppression framework, Austin pushed to incorporate multicultural training in his school’s Peer Helpers Club. He has also collaborated with various organizations, including Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, to fight prejudice at a broader level. Austin is currently working with a local middle school to develop a mentoring program for LGBTQQ students and to replicate the Safe Space faculty training. He can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Ken Jackson has worked in education for 25 years as a counselor, principal, and English teacher. He has led workshops/ seminars for local schools and national conferences in the area of diversity, specializing in LGBTQ work. He has worked as a consultant for educators, schools and school systems on diversity issues and has created and taught diversity classes in high schools. Ken is currently getting his PhD in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the University of Georgia. His research interests include LGBTQ student advocacy, counselor training and attitude, and social justice issues in K-16 settings. He is a member of several professional organizations including ACA, ASCA, ACES, GLSEN, CSJ, ASGW, and ALGBTIC. He is currently Head Counselor at Decatur High School, Decatur, Georgia, and while he considers counseling to be the best job in the school, he has a deep appreciation for all the educators and community members who make up a vibrant professional learning community. Contact Ken at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Holiday Simmons is a recent transplant to Atlanta, GA from New York, NY. She has a BA from the University of Virginia where she double majored in African American Studies and Women's Studies, with a minor in Environmental Science. She also has a Masters in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. For over a decade she has been engaged in both education and social justice work with youth of color and LGBT youth in group-home facilities, community centers, and in public schools. As the Community Initiatives Manager at the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) she became intimately involved in the safe schools movement by coordinating GLSEN’s four national Days of Action, and managing the Jump Start National Youth Leadership Team. Holiday brings both breadth and depth in her knowledge and experience of training students, educators, and community members on working towards safer schools for LGBT and ally students.

Cat Morillas is 24 years old and in May 2010 she will have earned her degree in Masters of Education for School Counseling. Cat is interning with the City Schools of Decatur. Currently she is working with Georgia State University’s Center for School Safety on their Bullying Intervention Project for the City Schools of Decatur. Under the supervision of Drs. Joel Meyers and Kris Varjas she is working on a national GSA advisors project as well as creating a national LGBTQQ module for School Psychologists. In addition, Cat is working on an International Mental Health Project with an emphasis in Mexico and Romania. Cat is the Vice President for Youth Pride’s Youth Board. Cat is a passionate advocate who loves to provide the space and comfort for all individuals to have a voice that is heard and respected. Cat can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Jillian Ford is a Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Educational Studies at Emory University. Her research focuses on political socialization and citizenship education for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and questioning (LGBTQIQ) youth. Jillian believes fiercely in the connection between research and activism, and is dedicated to reforming the k-12 social studies education curriculum in the United States to be more inclusive and progressive. Before returning to graduate school in 2004, Jillian taught 10^th grade World History and 11^th grade U.S. History at Tri-Cities High School in East Point, Georgia. There, she founded and sponsored the “Know Your History” club, which was a continued project of the “Know Your History” Saturday School she co-founded and co-directed in Charlottesville, Virginia, while a student at the University of Virginia. Both organizations were Afro-centric arenas for student growth.

Jeannie Senter, MS, PT is the current Safe Schools Coordinator for PFLAG Atlanta. She worked as a physical therapist for 38 years, witnessing bullying of all kinds during the 20 years she worked with physically disabled children (K-12) in a large county school system. Jeannie can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Michelle King is a graduate from the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a bachelors degree in Advertising. She also earned a minor in Religion and graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors. Michelle teamed up with Georgia Safe Schools Coalition in December in hopes of using her skill set as a mass communicator to further the mission of GSSC and help the coalition spread understanding and acceptance for GLBTQQ youth throughout the state of Georgia. Michelle plans to pursue a career in social justice and human rights. She can be reached by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it