Prince Rupert Queer Youth Alliance

Congratulations Rupert QYA: Xtra West, the Gay & Lesbian weekly newspaper based out of Vancouver, just announced Prince Rupert’s Queer Youth Alliance is one of three nominees for “Youth Activist of the Year!” Check out last week’s issue or the Heroes list online here.

Here’s what they wrote about us:

“Prince Rupert’s Queer Youth Alliance for having the courage to be out and proud in a northern fishing town where most adults are reluctant to publicly come out. Members of the Alliance say they’re not only finding hitherto unavailab

le support for themselves in the group, but that it’s changing the rest of the community as well. The Alliance even convinced City Hall to let them add a Pride float to last year’s Seafest parade.”

Last July’s interview for Xtra West has just been reprinted in the Gay & Lesbian Educator’s of BC Newsletter, “Gale Force”. Yeah! We’re famous.

For an update on events and ‘the future,’ go to our planning page (top right corner tab) and enter the password that was emailed out (or email me to get it again).

For general discussion, go to our discussion page (top right corner tab). That’s open to anyone!

Or, try emailing the QYA:

rupertqya@yahoo.com

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Also, here’s a survey about homophobia in schools.  You may want to participate.

Here is the full text of the our new School District regulation supporting students and staff who are, (or are perceived as) not straight, or have family members who are. Here’s a link to the news article when it passed at the School Board meeting.

Please comment with your thoughts on it (is it enough?) or on what we need to do to help it be carried out day-to-day in our schools.

8.19 SEXUAL ORIENTATION

The Board of School Trustees believes that all public schools in this district shall be safe for everyone. We recognize and value the diversity found within its school communities and believe that each individual, whether male or female, contributes to the strength of the district’s culture. The Board also recognizes that students and other school community members with alternate sexual preferences [sic] face a unique set of challenges within our schools and communities. In accordance with this regulation, and all relevant laws of more senior governing bodies, School District 52 (Prince Rupert):

1. Prohibits any form of discrimination, intimidation or harassment against any person based on gender or sexual orientation.

2. Encourages members of the school community to welcome, include and support all others regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

3. Instructs that all schools in the district put in place procedures and practices that support this regulation.

The School District will provide an environment for all members of the school community to work and learn, free from fear, discrimination, and harassment, while also promoting proactive strategies and guidelines to ensure that sexual minority students, employees and families are welcomed and included in all aspects of education and school life, and are treated with respect and dignity.

The purpose of this regulation is to define appropriate behaviours and actions in order to prevent discrimination and harassment through greater awareness of and responsiveness to their harmful effects. This regulation is also to ensure that all complaints are taken seriously and dealt with expeditiously and effectively. The regulation will also raise awareness and improve understanding of the lives of people who identify themselves on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. By valuing diversity and respecting differences, students and staff act in accordance with [BC Education] Ministry established principles related to diversity.

In this regulation, all references to “sexual minority” persons will include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, and questioning persons; persons who are labeled as such, whether they are or not; and persons with immediate family members who are of a sexual minority.

It is the responsibility of all administrators, teachers and support staff to work together to build school communities which are positive and welcoming and will:

a) foster respect, inclusion, fairness and equity;

b) set, communicate and establish clear expectations for acceptable conduct;

c) provide students, through various techniques, information that will lead to greater understanding, acceptance and support for sexual minority students.

Social responsibility, including information, issues and attitudes related to the sexual minority population, is not assigned to a particular grade or subject area; instead, it is a responsibility shared among all staff.

Within each school, staff will take concrete actions to ensure that the school is more welcoming and safe for sexual minority students.

Therefore, School Code of Conduct must include language that prohibits fear promoting, harassing or discriminatory language and behaviour toward students, employees or others based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identification

ADOPTED: May 8, 2007

Prince Rupert’s Queer Youth Alliance makes headlines!

Check out this link to the article. It was written in the spring of this year and published in July by Xtra! West in Vancouver.

Hello all.

It’s not the full article, or the full regulation, but it will be interesting if you haven’t read either. Here’s a link to part of the May 15, 2007 Daily News article by Leanne Richie that reported on the Prince Rupert School Board’s support for the PR Queer Youth Alliance and also the new regulation created by the District meant to support trans, lesbian, gay, and bi students and staff, decrease harassment and alienation, etc.

Please let us know if the link no longer works or if there is a better one. I think we should reprint the entire regulation on here in the fall.

We’ll post a time and place here soon for our first meeting of the new school year.