She’s now the president of the Tiverton High School Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club, and, for her senior project, Dianna Dumond wants to offer that same opportunity to middle schoolers.

After much debate, some of it emotional, last week, the school committee voted its unanimous (5-0) approval of the request, on condition that membership be limited to seventh- and eighth-graders.

At the insistence of board chairman Jerome Larkin, the already approved matter will be brought up again at the next meeting on Nov. 14. He wants to know more about what the school psychologist, who provided written support for the plan, thinks about it, what other towns do, and to give parents another chance to speak out. No parents spoke against the plan at last week’s posted session.

Ms. Dumond said the GSA (formerly the Gay-Straight Alliance — the new name is meant to be more inclusive) has been a life changer for her and for others in the high school.

It provides them a safe place to gather among friends and talk about issues that concern them.

“Students have come up to me and said that if I had a GSA in middle school it would have helped me, she said.

She said she feels the same way.

“If I had had a GSA in middle school to know that I was safe, that I was valid, that I wasn’t weird, it would have been much better,” Ms. Dumond said.

Committee member Diane Farnsworth voiced both concerns and questions.

“My concern is that there may be parents who have issues with a club like this at the middle school. Have the parents been asked how they feel about this? … Would parents be required to approve their participation?” “I don’t see why they would have to,” Ms. Dumond replied. “It will be a club open to all students. If you don’t want to show up, you don’t have to.”

Lee Ann McCarthy, the GSA’s high school advisor, said, “We have students come whose parents are not aware of their orientation.”

Another committee member noted that parental notification and permission is not required for joining other clubs and activities.

Committee member Deborah Pallasch said that the high school club has an advisor (Ms. McCarthy) present at meetings and that a middle school group would have the school psychologist on hand. She said she could see going ahead with the plan as long as it is limited to seventh and eighth grade.

Ms. Farnsworth was not convinced.

“As a parent, if I found out that my seventh grade child was participating in a club such as this without my knowledge, I would be very disappointed.” Middle schoolers, she added, may not have the maturity for such topics.

“It could save lives,” Ms. Dumond replied.

“How much do you know about your kids’ lives?” she asked the committee. “How much to they keep from you? Do you know when they are a target in school?

“Kids aren’t open (with parents). They are in electronics, social media. We’re into whatever people think about us … Kids and parents have different schedules, different things to do. We have different lives at this point.

“Whether or not we have it in school, they see it in the news, they see it on social media, it’s everywhere whether you try to keep it out of school or not,” Ms. Dumond said to audience applause.

Mr. Larkin suggested that Ms. Dumond first do more research.

“Parents are going to have strong feelings … I encourage you to give us more information, a more concrete plan, some assessment of community and faculty feelings.”

He also said he wants to know whether other middle schools in the state provide such an activity.

This is not an activity where offensive things go on, Ms. McCarthy said.

It is just a safe place where they can go to talk about things including “the difficulties they face on the bus, in school, how they cope …” And they have fun — for instance they recently held a bake sale to buy gifts for a child.

Seventh grade teacher Christina Hallman said the activity would be a natural extension of the school’s award winning anti-bullying program. “They are not going to be talking about sex, they are there to support each other … These kids need a safe place to talk.”

“To see the number of younger children struggling with gender identity today is kind of shocking,” said Dianna Dumond’s mother Joanne. Providing them support and an outlet gives youths “one less struggle they have to deal with.”

Chairman Larkin asked that the motion be withdrawn to provide more time or study but Elaine Pavao said she did not wish to withdraw.

“It’s her senior project” and she can’t afford to wait another couple of months to get it started. “If we say she has to to A, B or C, we are putting it off … I wouldn’t want to discourage her.”

Committee Vice Chairman Sally Black said that there is neither a need nor time for delay and said the topic had already been posted.

“We are hearing tonight that the psychologist is for it, the principal agreed, “ Ms. Black said.

“The kids can’t wait. (You) keep saying let’s see what other people do. I don’t care what other people do. Nothing inappropriate is going to happen … This school is known for one thing — being so accepting of everyone. No matter who comes in here, it is our job to embrace them and let them know it’s okay.”

The committee first voted 5-0 to approve an amendment limiting participation to seventh and eighth grades and then voted 5-0 to approve the club at the middle school.