Students start LGBTQ group, School board votes no to it being a school affiliated club.

IRONWOOD – Ironwood Students Create Safe Space for LGBTQ Classmates. Two eighth grade students at Luther L. Wright K-12 School are forming a Gay-Straight Alliance student group that will hold its first meeting on December 8th. The group will provide a safe space for LGBTQ students at Ironwood Area School. Reino Ranta and Olivia Salazar started the group since her school didn’t have a space for LGBTQ students. Salazar said she’d been out since she was 12 and felt isolated since she didn’t have access to any kind of group where she could explore her identity. The distinction right now is that the group is not a school-affiliated club after a proposal to the Ironwood Area Schools board on Nov. 15 failed on a 6-1 vote, however the group says they will hold meetings after school on Wednesdays from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. on the third floor of the school building. The group is open to Ironwood students in grades 7-12.  K-7 School Counselor Auburn Powell is the advisor for the group.  The GSA student group has also reserved a spot in next week’s Jack Frost Festival of Lights Parade on Dec. 4 the group says anyone who wants to show off their pride are welcome to join them in the parade.