Ethan Plummer is an overachiever. He takes four advanced placement classes, plays four musical instruments, serves on various school committees, does Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science fairs and is a Golden Eagles Marching Band drum major.

Next month, he'll participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association honors orchestra concert at Carnegie Hall in Oakland.

When he was in third grade, after winning the chance to be Principal for a Day at Dormont Elementary, he went to school in a vest and tie, then delivered a speech he wrote before a bunch of Realtors at a breakfast meeting.

"He's very likable, very confident," said Scott Hagy, the principal at Keystone Oaks High School, where Ethan, 17, is a senior.

"You would feel awful taking an opposing opinion from him."

Yet many do, and Ethan deals with it every day with surprising maturity and -- something he's been actively trying to champion in the halls at school -- tolerance.

Ethan is gay. He said he came to this realization quite a few years ago, but only after being "outed" by an acquaintance as a freshman did he tell his parents, Steve and Cheryl, of Dormont.

"I think the most wonderful thing is that he told us 'All the same things you and Dad taught us -- morals, values -- hold for gays as they do straights,' " Mrs. Plummer said.

"I wouldn't trade him for a million, he's such a cool spirit."

Keystone Oaks is one of 148 schools in Pennsylvania with established or pilot clubs affiliated with GSA, or Gay-Straight Alliance. Ethan and another student, now in college, started the Keystone Oaks program last year. Membership is at 43 students, most of whom are straight.

Although many conservative groups have been staunchly against any acknowledgment of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender--LGBT -- issues in the schools, the Alliance's official mission statement includes working toward creating a safer environment for all students.

"This has to do with teaching kids tolerance," said Mr. Hagy. "We wouldn't walk around using the 'N' word; that's inappropriate. But as adults, we might not even think twice if we hear someone using 'gay,' as in 'that's so gay,' as a bad word.

"Ethan has taken on the cause of almost all the downtrodden. If you're the short, fat kid or the tall, skinny girl and everybody's picking on you, then guess what? You're one of his friends."

Which is not to say that Ethan doesn't experience his share of flak every day: "I've never experienced any sort of physical harassment, just taunts. What they don't realize is, this just motivates me to do this all the more."

There are three PG South-area public schools currently listed as having Alliance clubs, according to national figures provided by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, GLSEN. In addition to Keystone Oaks, there are Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. Nationally, more than 3,600 school clubs are registered.

Upper St. Clair's chapter has been inactive this year, according to Sheila Lloyd, assistant activities director.

"Some students started it a few years ago and got it up and running, then they graduated and things fell off," she said.

"This happens with all clubs. Then a couple of years later, someone will come along and revive it."

At McKeesport Area High School, two seniors approached the school board recently to propose the formation of a GSA.

"They came to the board last month and identified a faculty adviser who is willing to sponsor the organization," said Jason Davidek, spokesman for the district. "They have to go through [all the usual channels to become a club], whether it's a gay-straight alliance, a science club or whatever."

Sara Luby is majoring in social work at Chatham University. She began Western Pennsylvania's first officially recognized Alliance program in 2000 at Mt. Lebanon High School, but the roots of her club began a year earlier when she co-founded a group focusing on students for civil action and reform.

The earlier group had addressed issues of inclusiveness that went beyond lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals and the transgenered, she said, but after holding a national Day of Silence -- an annual Alliance event to show support for tolerance in the schools -- "we realized we were seeing antigay bigotry among peers in the classroom."

A core group of a dozen students was involved during Miss Luby's time at Mt. Lebanon, with upward of 110 volunteers for special events.

Mt. Lebanon High School's current Alliance is not school-sponsored, but falls into a category deemed "student-initiated" that includes other clubs such as Student Christian Fellowship, Students Conservative Alliance, Chemistry Club and Teen Leadership Council.

Miss Luby recently ended a five-year term on the Pittsburgh GLSEN board.

"They've done amazing work in Allegheny and surrounding counties," she said.

One of GLSEN's annual events is a "safe prom," held at a Downtown hotel in the spring.

At Keystone Oaks, education goes beyond the students. In June, the Alliance held a workshop for teachers on an in-service day.

This is "Ally Week," a national event sponsored by GLSEN that includes what Mr. Hagy called "a brush-up course in sensitivity." Teachers and adults, plus straight students, are urged to identify themselves as willing to help students -- and not just LGBT -- if someone comes to them with a bullying problem.

"School officials were way better than I'd ever hoped," said Ethan, who also serves on GLSEN's national Jump Start board.

Students have been, on the whole, rather accepting as well, he said. Still, last week at a football game, someone in the stands yelled "Hey, faggot!" at him.

"As a parent, it disgusts me," Mrs. Plummer said. "Prejudice begins at home, but I truly believe people can be educated."

"I don't necessarily feel any true animosity toward them," said Ethan, who hopes to pursue a double major in music education and German in college. College life won't be stress-free, but the environment should be more accepting..

"I think it'll be nice, but at the same time, I won't stop doing what I'm doing."