Since legislation targeting conversations about sexuality, gender identity and LGBTQ-related topics in schools has spread across the country, 15-year-old Jaime Lauriano and his peers in Arizona have felt scared, disheartened and confused.Īs president of his school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance, or Student Alliance for Equality, Lauriano said he frequently fields questions about the future of the club, especially amid a recent state bill that would require guardian permission to participate in student groups involving sexuality, gender, or gender identity.įor many, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance is one of the only spaces where students feel accepted and can fully express their gender and sexuality, he said.