February 1, 2011

Karen Goan
Principal
King City Public School
25 King Boulevard
King City, Ontario L7B 1K9

I am writing to you today on behalf of Queer Ontario, a provincially based network of gender and sexually diverse individuals — and their allies — committed to liberationist and sex-positive principles that question, challenge and seek to reform the laws and social norms that regulate queer people. We are writing to you concerning your recent decision to cancel the student led “Opposite Gender Day” at King City Public School.

As an educator, I’m sure you can appreciate the value in students taking charge of their education, their agency and asserting themselves with what projects and initiatives they wish to undertake. As you stated in your letter to parents explaining the cancellation of the event, there were a multitude of “serious concerns reflecting a wide variety of personal, religious and family values”. Given that the students were in support of “Opposite Gender Day” and, indeed, came to plan it themselves, to subvert their calling for such an event is disappointing to say the least. Especially considering the learning opportunities that were missed through the cancellation of this event.

The way gender and gender roles are constructed and enforced in our culture is systemic and reinforced through institutions like schools. The missed opportunity here to transgress normative ideas of gender and to encourage students to reconsider their own preconceived notions of gender and gender roles can’t be overstated. With the decision by the McGuinty Liberal government to not update the Sex Ed Curriculum to include discussions around gender construction and roles, the responsibility for further education in these areas has fallen on the students through Gay Straight Alliances and/or activities such as “Opposite Gender Days”. Indeed, by succumbing to the multitude of reasons you described, all external to those expressed by the students themselves, you essentially removed a learning opportunity for them that isn’t going to be supplemented anywhere else in the curriculum. Queer Ontario would like to offer any assistance we could in helping to supplement this lacking curriculum – up to and including a visit to your school to explain gender diversity – to aid in this process.

Lastly, through the cancellation of such a day in the face of opposition, you are validating the reductionist and oftentimes conservative rhetoric that denounces the lived experience of Trans individuals everywhere. To speak to the words of Ross Virgo, manager of public affairs for the York Region District School Board: “these children are not old enough to even know what ‘gender identity politics’ are.” While it may certainly be true that students for the most part do not understand gender identity politics, it doesn’t mean that there are no Trans students who are affected by these so-called ‘politics.’ Definitely not. Given that there are Trans children who experience a deep discomfort with their socialized gender and who are often unable to identify or articulate the reasons for their discomfort — a discomfort, mind you, that often leads to depression or suicide — it would be in the best interest of the school to hold this “Opposite Gender Day” so that our Trans students can have the opportunity to discover who they really are. An opportunity that for whatever reason they may not otherwise have at home. Indeed, by denying your students an “Opposite Gender Day,” you are denying Trans students a moment of revelation or happiness that may very well save their lives forever – something that will certainly have a more profound effect than the “discomfort” to the parents of your student body.

Indeed, we hope that next time an initiative such as this one is brought forth by the students, you respect their efforts and refuse to succumb to discriminatory rhetoric that in the end only hurts us all regardless of our beliefs or values.

Sincerely,

Casey Oraa
Chair, Political Action Committee
Queer Ontario

Cc:
Ken Thurston, Director of Education, York Region District School Board
Ross Virgo, Manager of Public Affairs, York Region District School Board
Ripley Antonacci, Prime Minister, King City Public School Student Council

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January 24, 2011

Queer Ontario has written to Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Education, to ask that she intervene and enforce Ministry Policy that mandates school boards to support Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs). As outlined in Policy/Program Memorandum 145 under the sub-section “Prevention and Awareness Raising”*:

In order to promote a positive school climate, school boards must provide opportunities for all members of the school community to increase their knowledge and understanding of such issues as homophobia, gender-based violence, sexual harassment, inappropriate sexual behaviour, critical media literacy, and safe Internet use. Ontario’s curriculum provides many opportunities for students to develop an understanding of these topics. Boards must also help school staff to give support to students who wish to participate in gay–straight alliances and in other student-led activities that promote understanding and development of healthy relationships. Schools must also engage their school councils and student councils to support these student-led activities.

We believe that the time has come for the Ministry to intervene and support lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ) youth in their fight for GSAs. Even with the rescinding of the ban by the Halton Catholic District School Board, it is clear that they are still not allowing students to form GSAs – much less supporting students in developing them. Queer Ontario asks that the Ministry intervene and ensure that LGBTQ students in the Halton Catholic District School Board – and in both Public and Catholic Schools across Ontario – are supported in their efforts to start up and participate in GSAs.

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Contact Person: Casey Oraa
Chair, Political Action Committee

caseyoraa@gmail.com

*SOURCE: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/145.html

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January 24, 2011

Leona Dombrowsky
Minister
Ministry of Education
Mowat Block, 22nd Flr, 900 Bay St
Toronto, ON M7A 1L2
Dear Minister Dombrowsky,

I am writing to you today to request that under Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 145 Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour, you intervene in the ongoing situation with regards to the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) and enforce your policy requiring school boards to support Gay Straight Alliances (GSA). Specifically, as outlined in PPM 145 under the sub-section titled “Prevention and Awareness Raising”:

“In order to promote a positive school climate, school boards must provide opportunities for all members of the school community to increase their knowledge and understanding of such issues as homophobia, gender-based violence, sexual harassment, inappropriate sexual behaviour, critical media literacy, and safe Internet use. Ontario’s curriculum provides many opportunities for students to develop an understanding of these topics. Boards must also help school staff to give support to students who wish to participate in gay–straight alliances and in other student-led activities that promote understanding and development of healthy relationships. Schools must also engage their school councils and student councils to support these student-led activities.”

As clearly stated in your policy, “Boards must…help school staff to give support to students who wish to participate in gay-straight alliances”. Even though the HCDSB voted to rescind their ban on GSAs, it has become very clear that they have no intention of allowing GSAs to operate within their Board. As they suggested during the open question period during their most recent meeting held on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, they would look into the creation of a more generalized equity group – a method used by other Catholic school boards in Ontario – that would tackle issues such as homophobia.

While the work performed by a generalized equity group is valid and admirable, the importance of GSAs and the specificity of their mandate and work cannot be overstated. Their ability through education to help unravel the myths surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) persons is valuable not to mention the support network aspect for these youth who are often marginalized both in their schools and in their larger communities on the whole.

In a recent study conducted by Egale Canada, three-quarters of LGBTQ students stated that they felt unsafe in at least one area of their school, with half of their straight peers corroborating the unsafe nature of high schools for LGBTQ youth. No student, queer or straight, benefits from this kind of learning environment, nor do they deserve it.

We are requesting from you today that you enforce your policy, as outlined in PPM 145 and that you intervene for the good of the LGBTQ students attending school in the HCDSB as they have and continue to be denied the right to form a GSA.

All students benefit from a potential environment that does not tolerate harassment or bullying. Through the work performed by GSAs, there’s a real opportunity to improve the quality of life for not only LGBTQ students but the student body on the whole within the HCDSB as well. Please intervene and enforce your policy to ensure that students in the HCDSB have access to the GSAs they deserve.

Sincerely,

Casey Oraa
Chair
Political Action Committee
Queer Ontario

Cc:
Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB)
Tara Elliott, Director of Education, Egale Canada
Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC)
Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)

January 23, 2011

Halton Catholic District School Board
Catholic Education Centre
802 Drury Lane
Burlington, Ontario
L7R 2Y2

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to you today to formally request that Queer Ontario be consulted regarding your upcoming Equity and Inclusion Policy revisions.

At your January 18, 2011 meeting, while the rescinding of your policy banning Gay Straight Alliances (GSA) was a welcoming sign, it became very clear that there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) youth attending schools in the Halton Catholic District School Board have access to the support and resources only a GSA can provide. Being that the work a GSA performs is so encompassing and specific – something that is lost in translation when taken up by a general equity group – we look forward to working with your Board to ensure that you support your students in their efforts to start GSAs within your Board and that LGBTQ issues and identities are properly reflected in your policy.

We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Casey Oraa
Chair, Political Action Committee
Queer Ontario

Cc:
Leona Dombrowsky, Minister, Education
Kevin Flynn, MPP, Oakville
Joyce Savoline, MPP, Burlington
Ted Chudleigh, MPP, Halton
Ted Arnott, MPP, Wellington-Halton Hills
Tara Elliott, Director of Education, Egale Canada
Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC)
Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)

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