Allies for Acceptance

Allies for Acceptance is a new student-led group that we are starting up at Stonewall Collegiate. There has long been a need for a gay-straight alliance group and students are very excited about membership and creating goals and both school and community activities which will draw people together through education and visibility.

This group is open to any and all students in Grades 9 to 12 and membership is also open. There will be regularly-held meetings for the group and, upon the creation of mutually agreed-upon goals for the year, we will focus on ways to reach those goals.

The creation of this group will offer students of all sexual orientations a safe space to meet and an outlet through which to talk about their feelings, fears and experiences surrounding homophobia, gender identity and sexual orientation. Students will have opportunities to plan team-building activities that will celebrate diversity and the freedom to be oneself. They will also learn about homophobia and brainstorm and implement strategies and events toward the end goal of improving school and community-wide awareness.

The main objective in starting this group is threefold: to offer a safe space for students to gather and discuss issues related to sexual orientation; to plan activities with the end goal of educating students, school staff and community members; and to encourage acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, two-spirited, queer and questioning students! As a co-adviser, I am very excited about what this group will accomplish over the school year!