As part of its policy of inclusion, the Greater Victoria School District will be one of the first to begin training leaders under the curriculum, the online resource for LGBTQ-inclusive education.
SOGI, which stands for sexual orientation and gender identity B次元官网网址� a term used in the BC Human Rights Code B次元官网网址� will incorporate tools to support students, in the same way Indigenous ways of knowing have been woven into the districtB次元官网网址檚 curriculum. The material, assembled from the work of educators over the past 20 or 30 years, isnB次元官网网址檛 new, says SD61 Trustee and mother of three, Jordan Watters.
B次元官网网址淲hat is new is this provincial collective move forward on this,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址渢hat weB次元官网网址檙e going to prioritize this and resource this, rather than just a few teachers here and there having these conversations. ThereB次元官网网址檚 now an expectation, certainly in our district, that everyone has a certain level of understanding about these issues.B次元官网网址�
Watters put a motion forward for SD61 to release a statement, timed to align with the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which falls annually on Nov. 20. In it, the district announced they will train faculty members to be SOGI leaders B次元官网网址� a safe contact person who will be designated at each school across the district.
In the spring, SD61 will also host an evening to educate parents and community partners.
Watters says there are already GSAB次元官网网址檚 (gay-straight alliances, organized by students) throughout her district and in elementary schools, student-driven B次元官网网址渞ainbow clubsB次元官网网址� are popping up due to growing interest for safe spaces. Last week Alberta passed Bill 24, legislating that students could form GSAB次元官网网址檚 without fear of being outed; those opposed to the bill wanted to make it legal for parents to be notified if their child joined a GSA.
Currently, 48 of the provinceB次元官网网址檚 60 school districts have signed on to utilize SOGI123.
Last month, Chilliwack school board trustee Barry Neufeld publicly expressed his opposition to SOGI in a Facebook post and faced backlash for his homophobic and transphobic comments. The B.C. School Trustees Association, along with the Ministry of Education, B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, B.C. TeachersB次元官网网址� Federation and other education partners, released a joint statement to denounce NeufeldB次元官网网址檚 comments.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a pretty tremendous accomplishment in our province to have all the education partners speaking in unison and to react that quickly,B次元官网网址� Watters said. B次元官网网址淚t was unified and without any hesitation, we know where we stand on this. That was a great day.B次元官网网址�
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SD61 board chair Edith Loring-Kuhanga said in a local release that the SOGI decision is part of a continuing effort to create a culture where all students are accepted, empowered and supported, regardless of their differences and challenges. B次元官网网址淭here are many students who are still afraid to share their experiences for fear of harassment, which can negatively impact their overall health and well-being,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淚f you talk to any gender non-conforming or trans kid in our schools, theyB次元官网网址檙e not going to tell you that everything is great,B次元官网网址� Watters says. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not creating SOGI123 and creating all these processes and supports because everything is great. WeB次元官网网址檙e doing this because weB次元官网网址檙e trying to change culture.B次元官网网址�
Not every child comes from a supportive family, Watters points out and although kids can learn quickly, B次元官网网址渢hey swim in this patriarchal, heteronormative culture.B次元官网网址�
The policy comes on the heels of the districtB次元官网网址檚 first gender identity and expression policy, approved in 2016 with leadership from Watters. While that policy led to gender-neutral washrooms in each school across the district, she says itB次元官网网址檚 important to keep learning about gender in order to accommodate all students.
B次元官网网址淭o me, at base itB次元官网网址檚 about this commitment to creating a more just society and to me, justice depends on equity and equity depends on inclusion.B次元官网网址�
