Out for justice
Stand Up. Speak Out effort catches fire
A series of moving speeches marked the start of this year’s “Stand Up. Speak Out” campaign with students at Cobequid Educational Centre raising their voices in solidarity.
First launched as the Think Pink Movement by Chignecto Central Regional School Board five years ago, this year’s campaign tackles bullying with the tagline “What’s Your Story?” Under this banner, students and others told of how they found acceptance and overcame life’s challenges.
“The more we know people’s stories, the more empathetic and understanding we can be to one other,” said Stephanie Isenor-Ryan, CCRSB’s director of programs and student services.
Keynote speaker Nolan Pike gave one of the most powerful and heartfelt presentations. Pike started life female and is now a man. He often faced violence, bullying and discrimination during his time in school, two decades ago.
“I remember all the people who stuck up for me,” said Pike in his speech, though admittedly, there were few. One was his little niece who, with hands firmly planted on hips, stepped between her uncle and two girls who made fun of him.
Today, Pike is a community educator who travels across the Maritimes working with schools and other organizations to build more inclusive environments for LGBTQ students, who are still targets of bullying.
Pike and his fellow speakers shared stories under the campaign’s Five Pillars of Social Justice: race, gender, sexual orientation, class and ability.
“I really think Nolan Pike’s speech was amazing,” said Grade 12 student Bailey Chisholm, who emceed Thursday’s event. “It really taught a lot about how we cannot judge other people by how they look, at all – and we don’t know anybody’s story.”
As one of her school’s two copresidents, Chisholm sees the results of exclusion and bullying every day in the faces of those students who have no one to turn to.
“It really makes me sad when I see people that don’t have many friends or that eat lunch alone just because they might act a little bit different or speak a little bit different,” said Chisholm.
Her fellow emcee and copresident Tara Cashen has faced her own life and family challenges, falling under the ‘ability’ pillar.
Her father suffered a stroke when she was only nine, leaving him paralyzed down one side and unable to do many of the things other fathers can with their children.
Confined to a wheelchair, Cashen’s father often finds it difficult travelling or even going out for a meal.
At a time when she was emotionally “fragile,” classmates sometimes picked on Cashen because of what happened to her father.
Nonetheless, events like Stand Up. Speak Out gave Cashen hope, both for herself and her fellow students, of a more inclusive world.
“We’re moving closer and closer towards complete acceptance,” said Cashen.