Free to be me: Rainbow schools hold diversity conference
A two-day symposium is underway at Cambrian College that aims to create and enhance support for students who are part of the LGTBQ2S community, as well as allies.
The Rainbow District School Board has held the event since 2009, dubbed 'Embrace Diversity: Free to Be Me.'
“The biggest thing for us is inclusion,” said Patrick Hopkin, Free to Be Me conference chair.
"Feeling comfortable in who you are -- who you are as a person, who you are as an ally and how to support students and support one another."
Day 1 on Wednesday kicked off with a presentation from Bradie Granger, chair of Cambrian’s schools of justice and general studies.
“I wish they had these when I was growing up," Granger said.
"I feel very fortunate and humbled and honoured to be asked to be a speaker here and to be able to share my story with folks that are allies or part of the LGBTQ community."
Granger had some priorities to share with students: living authentically, empowering them to be themselves and supporting others to do the same.
"You can’t change the world without being out there and we can all play a part if we are living our truth,” said Granger.
The second keynote address came from Martin Boyce, who was a teenager in New York in the 1960s and participated in the Stonewall Riots.
The riots were a series of spontaneous and violent demonstrations that are considered the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.
“Stonewall was grassroots," said Boyce.
"We are going to have to face new battles, but we are in a better position to face these battles … We have to fight to make it more perfect or better."
Wednesday's event had 170 participants from Grades 9-12. On Thursday, almost 200 Grade 7 and 8 students will watch Granger's presentation and will participate in breakout sessions to discuss topics such as discovery, moving forward to high school, growth mindset, laws and rights, culture and dealing directly with language.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.