Pride in Education
Published Monday November 2nd, 2009
High school can be tough, but imagine if on top of all the other challenges you face, you're questioning your sexuality - and you have no idea where to turn for answers.
Pride in Education, or PIE, is a group of educators who have come together to support students, teachers and others in the education system.
The group came about thanks to a workshop called Creating Allies for Gay Youth that was offered last spring at the New Brunswick Teachers Association, says Peter Papoulidis, a member of PIE and one of the organizers of an upcoming workshop called Creating Allies for Gay Youth: The Next Step.
"At the time Rev. Brent Hawkes was in the province and he was doing a speaking tour and he came to speak. ... As a result of that, some of the teachers stayed after the workshop and (decided) they needed to form a province-wide committee to address the needs of creating allies for gay youth in the public school system," he says.
"From that meeting we created Pride in Education. One of the things we decided to do was put on another workshop for teachers. After learning about homophobia and heterosexism within the school system, the next step was to actually take it to our students and to do something at the school level, to create GSAs (Gay Straight Alliances), to create avenues for educating teachers."
The mission statement of Pride in Education, says Papoulidis, is "Where the NBTA declares itself to be an anti-homophobia and anti-heterosexism organization that promotes equity and inclusiveness for all individuals in the workplace, it recognizes student and teacher diversity and the goals of anti-homophobia and anti-heterosexism in the selection of its priorities and programs, and promotes anti-homophobia and anti-heterosexism education."
"Given that, we're going to organize teacher training around and in anti-homophobia and anti-heterosexism. That's what we're doing with this particular workshop," he says. "And we're going to promote and establish a provincial GSA network for teachers, staff and students in our educational system."
That means instead of individual schools establishing their own Gay Straight Alliance, there could be a network, a body they could refer to for resources and help, he says.
"The last part of our mission is to seek partners and support with other community allies."
Papoulidis and Jackie DesMeules are both members of PIE, as well as being two of the advisors with the Gay Straight Alliance at Leo Hayes High School.
In high school, students may find themselves questioning themselves and their sexuality, says DesMeules.
"They're wondering if they are the only one in the world feeling this way. They need to feel safe, and they need to try and understand it better," she says. "They are facing some harassment from others who misunderstand. Through the GSAs they will hopefully find an area where they feel safe and can have some of those questions and concerns addressed."
According to statistics, 30 per cent of completed suicides by young people under the age of 24 are due to issues of sexual orientation. Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are three to four times more likely to try to commit suicide. Eighty per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth report feeling severely isolated, while in New Brunswick, 82 per cent of lesbians, gays and bisexuals report being verbally abused.
Papoulidis notes that the Gay Straight Alliance isn't just for those who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
"It's for the straight allies who may have someone in their family (who is gay) and because of that they may have experienced homophobia," he says. "When you hear a remark that affects someone in your family, that tends to hurt you. They may have questions about homosexuality and sexual identity."
The alliance is a support system for them as well as those who are questioning their own sexuality, he says.
"And it's for friends as well. We have kids that come here to support their friends, so they know what they can say in their defence, they know what things they can and cannot do, they know what to expect from teachers in the building if they hear things," says DesMeules.
One of the people who comes is a young man who is interested in a career in human rights, says Papoulidis.
"So this is an opportunity for those who are interested in promoting human rights issues to get involved as well," he says.
The good news is that students are more open to differences than past generations, says DesMeules, plus these kinds of issues are being discussed more than ever before.
"When we were in school, it was one of the hush things you couldn't talk about," she says.
"I remember because I grew up as a gay youth. It was terrifying to think you'd be discovered. I was a jock in my high school," says Papoulidis. "I was very conflicted."
He says he's amazed by the students who come to the GSA at Leo Hayes because they are much further ahead in their openness and they're not afraid.
"They do experience some harassment, we don't know the extent of it quite yet because we haven't delved into it yet," he says. "But I think to have positive role models (is key). Jackie has a gay brother, Rev. Brent Hawkes, ... so (she) is a straight role model for these students, and (I am) someone who is out as a gay person in the teaching profession."
These kids are looking for role models and the advisors can provide that, as well as advice and support where needed.
This is the first year that Leo Hayes High School has had a GSA. There are now seven or eight in the province, including ones at Fredericton High School and Oromocto High School.
Many of the organizers with the GSAs are, like Papoulidis and DesMeules, members of Pride in Education.
"It's important to note too that PIE (is made up of) teachers from all walks of life, all sexual orientations. This is a group that is formed to meet the needs of our students," says Papoulidis.
The goal, after all, is understanding between all people.
"Our long term goal is that there would be no need (for this)," says DesMeules. "That everyone is OK with people having different sexual orientations."
Registrations for the workshop Creating Allies for Gay Youth: The Next Step have steadily been coming in. Among those signing up for the Friday, Nov. 6 workshop are social workers, teachers, guidance counsellors and more.
The registration fee is $30 and will include a keynote address from Nathan Thompson, a former Oromocto High School student. He will share his experiences and his thoughts on the importance of GSAs in high schools.
To learn more about the workshop or the work of PIE, contact jackie.desmeules@nbed.nb.ca.
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