Students praise policy
School board’s new policy reinforces right to be treated equally regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation
Members of a social justice group at Penticton Secondary School have given an A-plus to a new policy that reinforces staff and students’ rights to be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
“When we pass these policies and people start to support this change, it will have such an incredible, significant impact on students like me, like us,” Cale Raymond told Okanagan Skaha School District trustees at their regular meeting on Monday.
“We’re real people, too. This (policy) is not just a piece of paper we’re signing anymore. It’s become about human rights.”
He and three other members of the school’s Diversity Club, which is made up of LGBTQ youth, their allies and others interested in promoting equality for all people, presented powerful personal stories that reinforced the need for the policy, which was adopted by the board in February.
Raymond, who’s in Grade 12, told trustees his sexual orientation became a topic of discussion among his peers when he was 12 years old, because he was boisterous, animated and got along better with girls than boys.
“And the question started coming around to me, ‘Are you gay?’” Raymond recalled.
“At that point in time, I didn’t even have the understanding of what it was to have a sexual identity,” he continued, noting the question nonetheless made him feel ashamed.
“It kind of makes you feel rotten inside,” Raymond said.
Then, in Grade 10, a friend finally stood up to some bullies on his behalf.
“It was the most incredible lift of pressure, and I finally felt like it could be OK who I am,” said Raymond.
Heather Lieskovsky, also in Grade 12, praised the school community for big strides toward acceptance, such as a rainbow crosswalk at Pen-Hi, but cautioned there’s still a long way to go.
She told the board that just last summer she was walking with a group of friends downtown when a car full of fellow students from Pen-Hi began shouting homophobic slurs at them.
“We have to remember that even if we are making advancements in adopting a more accepting environment at our schools . . . it also needs to be something that is still giving educational resources to students, because it needs to seep back out into the community,” said Lieskovsky. “We’re only at school seven hours of the day.” Dustin Montgomery, a female-male transgender student in Grade 9, said he’s currently being harassed by a fellow student who believes Montgomery “woke up one morning and decided to be a boy.”
“I still continually wake up to texts from him saying my gender is fake and I’m worthless,” said Montgomery, who highlighted the creation of gender-neutral bathrooms as among the positives that have come out of the policy.
Shantelle Bishop, another Grade 12 student, noted it has also empowered other kids who for too long have felt shunned not only because of sexual orientation, but also race or abilities.
“The reason why we want this policy is because there are just so many kids out there who just don’t have the voice to stand up for themselves,” said Bishop.
According to its preamble, the policy is intended to ensure “a safe, positive and inclusive learning and working environment for all students, employees and members of the school community regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” according to its preamble.
Key points affirm students’ and employees’ rights “to be addressed by a name and pronoun that corresponds to their gender identity,” and to use washrooms and change facilities “that correspond to their identified gender.”
All public school districts in B.C. are now mandated by the Education Ministry to have such a policy.