The vote Monday night was 4-3 to recognize the alliance as a school club. That allows it to hold fundraisers, have a spot in the yearbook and put up a bulletin board. The meeting drew passionate supporters on both sides of the issue. Supporter Joy Schroeder told the board the alliance members "deserve to have a safe place to go where they are not only tolerated, but accepted."
Two alliance members filed a federal lawsuit last month after the school board failed to recognize the club. Their attorney, Waring Fincke tells WTMJ-TV the lawsuit was about equality and following the law, not about any monetary gain.