Home > Releases > Queer Ontario’s Letter to Dr. Chris Spence, Director of Education, Toronto District School Board, Applauding TDSB’s Awards for Gay Straight Alliances (January 17, 2011)

Queer Ontario’s Letter to Dr. Chris Spence, Director of Education, Toronto District School Board, Applauding TDSB’s Awards for Gay Straight Alliances (January 17, 2011)

January 21st, 2011

January 17, 2011

Dr. Chris Spence
Director of Education
Toronto District School Board
5050 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario M2N 5N8

Dear Dr. Spence,

Further to our letter of December 5. 2010, Queer Ontario applauds the awards originating
from your office for Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs).

By offering three cash rewards of $1000 a piece to GSAs that have “demonstrated a
committed effort in helping create a school climate that is safer and more positive for
students and staff of all sexual orientations and gender identities”, you are financially
rewarding an extremely important initiative. Not only does this re-affirm the importance of
GSAs in monetary terms, it provides further resources for them to draw upon to perform their
work.

Lastly we applaud you in recognizing the “responsibility those in power have in supporting
the creation of safe, affirming and liberating schools for all students and staff”. As the fate of
GSAs in Halton continues to remain in peril, we can only hope that the Toronto District
School Board’s Positive Space Campaign will continue to inspire other Boards in supporting
methods and resources that combat bullying and gender/sexuality-based violence.

In solidarity,
Casey Oraa
Chair, Political Action Committee
Queer Ontario

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