Some North Hastings High School students who are part of a special committee say more education on Pride issues is needed in this community and at their school.
Kayla Hickey, Clara Vance and Ava Lahey are part of the Increasing Awareness Erasing Stigma group at the Bancroft-based high school.
The committee was behind a special event earlier this Pride month to teach about how mental health issues impact the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
While that event went well, they say discrimination still happens. And, they add, some in the school community don’t understand why events to specifically honour the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are needed.
Lahey says she’s sometimes asked, ‘why isn’t there a Straight Day?’. She says, “365 days a year are straight days. We have one month where we get to celebrate who we are.”
Vance, adds, “There are many questions asked, like ‘why do you have to bring sexuality into everything?’ Maybe we wouldn’t have to celebrate Pride if we were allowed to simply exists as ourselves, without getting hate crimed.”
The students say they hope discussions about past and current discrimination against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community continues in school. And they hope to see schools continue to raise Pride flags, to show that all students are included and welcome.