A GS is like everyone else in the sense that by job description, they have no special powers that would give them an advantage in the game that others don't have. They do not have any special ability to influence the treatment of other players based solely on the fact that they have a tag.
A GS is not a policeman or enforcer. They are there primarily to be a contact point for other players that are in need of information and/or assistance. They are also there to keep the community engaged and maintain the best possible gaming experience that they can. To that end, they are also charged with trying to maintain a fun, non-threatening environment which often results in having to remind people when their behavior could result in adverse actions from the AGE staff.
While they have no actual authority to administer punitive actions, and are usually immediately dismissed by staff if they threaten to do so, they do have the ability and responsibility to bring any situation that can't be resolved at their level to the staff. This applies not only in the game involved, but in the forum community as well.
Nobody in the games or in forums should feel that they don't have the freedom and ability to enjoy the game or express their views, as long as they do so within the rules. It is the duty and responsibility of the GS Team and Forum Mods to make sure that those things are protected and that nobody is restricted or silenced due to the adverse actions or verbal attacks of others.
A GS is not perfect and they will be the first to admit that. They do and will continue to make occasional mistakes. Nobody should give them a free pass simply because they are a GS, nor should they make a huge issue out of it because they are a GS. Those mistakes should be treated as if they were made by any normal player, since that is actually the case. Try speaking to the individual privately and resolving the situation, as you would with anyone else. If all else fails, report them, as you would anyone else.
I guess if you take anything at all away from this, I would hope that it's that a GS should not be specifically targeted simply because they have tags and it wouldn't be honest to say that to some extent there aren't a few with tags that do have and easier path to the staff and perhaps even a very small amount of influence on a situation, but that isn't a direct result of having tags and is heavily dependent on the individuals service to the community and the reputation that they have built in regards to fairness and good judgement that is based on that service.
Finally, to the title of the thread; So GSs are the same as everyone else. . . . . . No, they absolutely are NOT the same as everyone else. They have taken that extra step of taking away from their game time to support and build the community. They all too often face overwhelming situations armed only with common sense, tons on patience and an end desire to make things better. They willingly accept a position where many will hate them, even more will flame them and they will suffer endless hours of abuse at the hands of their fellow players, and yet the do it because they want to make a difference and they genuinely care.
Have a great day.