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School Districts with LGBT Policies
Are Kids Safe in Our Schools?
TORONTO: Egale Canada today (Dec. 10th, 2007 World Human Rights Day) launched a national survey designed to explore the experiences of homophobia and transphobia of students in Canadian Schools. “We are working with School Boards, Gay Straight Alliances, agencies and service providers to make sure as many youth as possible across the country have access to the survey,” said Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada. “It’s available online at www.climatesurvey.ca and is easy to navigate.”
“This project will document the school climate for straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two Spirit, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTTIQ) students in Canada,” says Dr. Catherine Taylor, Faculty of Education, University of Winnipeg, and the project’s principal investigator. “It’s the first comprehensive study of its kind in Canada and the results will provide us with the information needed to make schools safer and more respectful.”
LGBTTIQ teens are more likely to be threatened with weapons, drop out of school because of harassment and are forced to leave home because of conflicts with parents. One such teen, Jen Blaser, tells a story that is all too familiar in our school environment. “As an out queer youth, I received death threats and suffered several physical assaults,” says Blaser, “eventually I left school because I had no sense of security or safety.”
British Columbia educator and Chair of Egale Canada’s Education Committee Noble Kelly explains that the survey is long overdue, “it will give us the statistics necessary to help develop the kinds of supports kids need while coming to terms with who they are.”
Egale Canada advances equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transidentified people and their families across Canada.
More Information:
Helen Kennedy, Executive Director, Egale Canada, Tel: 416-270-1999
Dr. Catherine Taylor, University of Winnipeg, Tel: 204-786-9893
Noble Kelly, Egale Canada Education Committee, Tel: 604-838-4803From Tolerance to Celebration
EDUCATION / The making of a gay-friendly elementary schoolPatti Shales Lefkos / Xtra West / Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Five and a half years ago, I became principal of the West End's Lord Roberts Elementary School and its annex. I was ecstatic. Lord Roberts on Bidwell St has all of the elements I love in a school community: a multicultural population, inner-city funding and programs, bright students, involved parents with high expectations and a dedicated, diverse staff. However, having spent a week at the school in April 1998, I harboured no illusion that I was in for an easy ride.
First, there was the story of the rainbow flag. To celebrate the opening of the school's new playground, the principal who preceded me ordered several flags. Unwittingly, one of them was a rainbow flag. A few hours after it was raised there was an uproar in the parent community and a Grade 7 student started a petition to remove it. Due to parental pressure the flag was taken down. Then there was the story of the photo exhibit called All Kinds of Families. For one week, photos were displayed in the main hall depicting families of various ethnic backgrounds, single parents, and same-sex parents. Parents raised concerns yet again. Staff decided to tackle the issue head-on. That's when I made my entrance.
We began with a two-day staff retreat featuring presentations by the Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC (GALE). We decided each teacher would lead a class meeting to discuss name-calling. If students did not bring up homophobic names, the teacher would. So began our journey from tolerance to celebration. That fall, we developed a Code of Behaviour for the school. While it did not directly address sexual orientation, it did highlight respect for all people and the importance of honouring diversity. This allowed staff to begin classroom discussions around the question of what constitutes diversity and to take those discussions beyond race into sexuality and family composition.
Having facilitated the development of a Code of Behaviour in three other schools, I knew the process was as important as the product. The involvement of students, staff and parents is crucial, as is the ritual of yearly review, editing and recommitment. In the last few years, our September Signing Ceremony has evolved into a joyous celebration. Students, staff and parent representatives sign the Code each fall in a school assembly to indicate their commitment to its stated values for the coming year. The assembly ends with staff members presenting an energetic dance to "We Are Family" which invariably causes a barely contained riot of student applause. It is obvious to students that staff care for and respect each other and have fun working together. The Code is illustrated by the Respect Mural on the gym wall facing Bidwell St, which provides a daily reminder to all.
In order to gauge the Code's success, we then designed a Respect Rubric (one of those charts with the word "respect" spelled out down the left side and attributes beginning with each letter described and assessed on the right). Teachers and parents use the rubric each term to evaluate student growth in social responsibility. Students use it as a self-evaluation tool. We also made it school-wide policy to include anti-homophobia lessons within discussions of diversity at all grade levels, starting in Kindergarten. Picture books depicting all kinds of families provide an effective way to broach the topic in the primary grades.
As a Lord Roberts parent recently said when asked if anti-homophobia should be taught in all elementary grades: "It is important to present information openly. The students will take in what they are ready for." Considering the inordinately high suicide rate among gay and lesbian teens, we cannot begin the discussion soon enough. Recently, Lord Roberts celebrated Pride Week, planned by the newly formed school Pride Committee, a group of gay and straight staff members. "You Can Be Anyone You Want to Be" by the Flirtations was played over the public address system, the rainbow flag was raised in the playground, open classroom discussions took place without giggles, and anti-homophobia posters featuring a gay staff member and his partner were displayed. There were no complaints from students, parents, or community. We have come a long way at Lord Roberts. Both gay and straight staff members now feel it is a gay-friendly school. All our gay and lesbian staff are out to colleagues and most are now out to students and parents, as well.
Though diversity is a part of every community, I feel that directly addressing homophobia is especially crucial in a West End school if we are to truly honour all members of our local community. I commend the ongoing leadership of gay and straight staff and parents that has brought us to this point. It is my privilege to have been part of the continuing journey from tolerance to celebration. There have been bumps in the road. There may be more to come.
The Vancouver School Board's anti-homophobia policy provided me with welcome ammunition to back up my personal beliefs when addressing parent concerns. The government's new Grade 12 elective Social Justice course is another positive initiative that will hopefully be chosen by future leaders. I fully support MLA Lorne Mayencourt's call for a code of conduct for all schools that explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender equity. While acceptance and celebration of all people can't be legislated, the passing of the bill will necessitate the opening of discussion in all schools. We all have to start somewhere.
Patti Shales Lefkos was principal of Lord Roberts Elementary School and Lord Roberts Annex in Vancouver's West End for the past five and a half years. She retired in December 2005 after 36 years in education.
Lindsay Willow HRC Tribunal
I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the emails of support over the past week. Your kind words help dearly in such a difficult struggle.
It means a lot to hear from others the positive impact my Human Rights Case has on their own personal lives and the good this case can do in general for our communities. Please visit the website www.humanrightstribunal.zoomshare.com for the updates and new court dates in January 2006. It is hard to believe I still have 6 tribunal dates in January, so please know that I still need your help in keeping the issue at the forefront. I have included below some important contacts, and I have also attached a word document with these contacts. Please forward these onto your friends and supporters. I am asking for your help in having others here your words of support that you have so kindly sent my way.
Please let them know your disgust towards the way I was treated and that I am not alone in this Human Rights Complaint. Your words will send the most powerful message of all. A friend once told me a letter to government is worth 100, 000 letters. Please help me make those in positions of authority know that the individual does matter, and a violation of their rights is the same as violating the rights of others. I hope to see your support again on January 4th, 2006 when the Tribunal begins again.
Sincerely, Lindsay Willow
Wade Marshall (Chairman of the HRSB): wemarshall@hrsb.ns.ca
Carol Olsen (Superintendent of the HRSB): colsen@hrsb.ns.ca
John Hamm (Premier of NS): premier@gov.ns.ca
Wayne Noseworthy (Ex. Director of NSTU) & Mary-Lou Donnelly (NSTU President): nstu@nstu.ca
Maryann Francis (Director and CEO of NSHRC): hrcinquiries@gov.ns.ca
Dennis Cochrane (Deputy Minister DOE): rochonc@gov.ns.ca
Honourable Jamie Muir (Minister of Ed.): educmin@gov.ns.ca
Honourable Micheal Baker (Minister of HRC): bakermg@gov.ns.ca
Honourable Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Minister ACSofW): min_psc@gov.ns.ca
Gary Walker (Principal of Halifax West HS): gwalker@staff.ednet.ns.ca
Liette Doucet (NSTU local President): lsdoucet@nstu.ca
Chronicle Herald Newspaper: letters@herald.ca
The Daily News: rboomer@hfxnews.ca
The Globe and Mail: letters@GlobeAndMail.ca
Global TV: news@globatv.ca
CBC TV/Radio: radionews@halifax.cbc.ca
ATV/CTV News: news@ctv.ca
Surrey Book Banning Case History
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Here are some past issues of our newsletters:
Dates for future Meetings and Social Events:
Our next meeting will be:
7pm on Thursday, January 28th at Steve's place. Call: 604-688-0924 for directions. Feel free to bring some munchies. New members always welcome!
Upcoming Social Events:
Dec 5th - Christmas Party at James' place. Contact James (jchamberlain@bctf.ca) if planning to attend and directions.
Although GALE BC advocates for positive social change in educational settings, we are also provide opportunities for members to meet in relaxed and non-threatening settings. Aside from our monthly meetings, we periodically organize a variety of social events.
We feel it is important for lgbt educators and their allies to meet one another. Social events
All persons who have a commitment to youth and education are welcome. Details regarding these socials will be posted here as soon as the information is available.