GSAFE originally grew out of two volunteer run grassroots organizations from 1991 known as Gays and Lesbians Against Discrimination in Education (GLADE) and Gay and Lesbian Educational Employees (GLEE). In 1996, they became a local chapter of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). This allowed them the platform to further grow into an independent organization, and they left GLSEN to become a self-governing 501(c)3 organization in 2006. This is when they became known as Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools. In 2014 they officially changed their name to GSAFE, recognizing that the phrase "Gay-Straight Alliance" is not representative of the many identities that make up the community they serve. GSAFE initially focused on South Central Wisconsin, but it eventually worked to serve the entire state.
