00:00:08
GRAPHIC: Education Film Early 1960’s
00:00:15 VO
I’m Lieutenant Williams a police officer attached to the juvenile division. I’m on my way to Monroe Junior High School to talk to a group of young people that sometimes there are dangers involved that never meet the eye.
00:00:30 VO
Let’s take the case of Jimmy Barnes (sp). Jimmy played baseball all afternoon and he didn’t feel like walking home so he decided to thumb a ride.
00:00:49 VO
When Jimmy got out the stranger gave him a friendly pat.
00:00:56 VO
And he told him he’s see him again cause he always drove by the park on his way home.
00:01:11 VO
The following Saturday they went fishing together. By now they were using first names Ralph said it was more friendly.
00:01:27 VO
Jimmy hadn’t enjoyed himself so much in a long time. Then during lunch Ralph showed him some pornographic pictures. Jimmy knew he shouldn’t be interested but well he was curious. What Jimmy didn’t know was that Ralph was sick. A sickness that was not visible like small pox but no less dangerous and contagious a sickness of the mind. You see Ralph was a homosexual a person who demands an intimate relationship with members of their own sex.
00:02:12
GRAPHIC: 2012 Hope Secondary School
00:02:22 Rosalee Flyod Principal
In the last 20 to 21 years I’ve seen a lot of change in regard to the attitudes of students and and staff ah regarding gay lesbian transgender, transgender issues.
00:02:39 Rosalee Floyd
My heart swells with pride when I think about Pat and the struggles that he’s faced and and some of the unkind remarks that he’s endured from people.
00:02:53 Pat Grade 11
I believe grade 7 in my intermediate school my best friend he wouldn’t want anything to do with me. He he told people to not tell me where he lived. He told people that I was that gay kid. I wasn’t his best friend anymore. He completely left me and I had a giant void in myself for having a best friend. And that’s all because people saying that I’m that I was gay and I was a fag even though I didn’t even know I was.
00:03:39 Taylor Grade 12
My stepsister is closeted lesbian and she is so afraid to tell our stepmom and I grew up with that and she’d tell me every day that I can’t I can’t tell her she’ll she’ll hit me she’ll hate me and growing up with somebody who is that afraid because their own mother is bullying them I just I just couldn’t live that way. And of course I wouldn’t tell my stepmom hey your daughter is gay because that that’s her choice to keep it inside but every day I’d tell Kristen that you are who you are you can’t change it you have to embrace it and you have to tell mom. And growing up like that you realize how absolutely scared people are and how how much hate there really is in the world. And I just I wanted to stop it as soon as it started. But it’s a bit harder than that it seems I’m going to try.
00:04:33 Erin Wilkins School Counsellor
We have a lot of kids who support their friends who have come out to their parents or are trying to come out to their parents and so ah these ah lesbian gay transgendered bisexual students rely a lot on their allies. GSA is also a group of kids that are trying to create change within the school.
00:04:53
GRAPHIC: Gender Blender Dialogues of Hope
00:04:59
GRAPHIC: A group of students decide to explore the current situation of homosexuality in their school.
00:05:12 Boy1
Or like if you’re associating with like a gay person they just automatically think you’re gay <ya> or like
being like the leader of that do you feel like people are kind of think oh she must be a lesbian then. <Ya okay I…>You can’t be straight and be friends with them.
00:05:22 Katelyn
Exactly I went to uhm Ottawa a couple of weeks ago and I told someone I was like ya I’m the leader of the Gay Straight Alliance at my school and they’re like are you gay? I’m like no you do not have to be gay I’m the leader of it and I’m not gay. <speaking over each other>
00:05:34 VOC
You’re the leader of the GSA?
00:05:36 Katelyn VOC
I’m the leader of the GSA
00:05:37 Boy2
Why have I not heard anything about it like <talking over each other>
00:05:43
GRAPHIC: GSA MEETING Gay Straight Alliance Lunch Group
00:05:44 Katelyn
There’s homophobia and gay bullying
00:05:47 Pat
Outside of this room it it’s scary. I’ve had worse than just names called to me. I’ve been physically abused because of it because there’s probably many more students in this school that are in the closet and they don’t want to come out and they should be able to. They should feel safe enough to come out to the their peers.
00:06:17 Erin Wilkins
Our district has been extremely supportive ah in helping or you know giving us the venue and allowing us to to have these meetings.
00:06:27 Pat
May the 29th me and Katelyn Roberts and Taylor are going to be going to the school board to talk to them about getting a antidiscrimination policy against LGBTQ youth.
00:06:53 Pat
The policy we have at our school right now is way too vague it’s just it’s only like uhm you cannot discriminalize descriminize against uhm the faculty and the students of the school and that’s way too vague. We need one that’s bigger and puts everybody under the umbrella.
00:07:11 Katelyn
Ya it doesn’t include but it doesn’t exclude anybody.
00:07:25 Jeff Frederick Graduated 1984
When I was in ah the public school system that was the late 70’s early 80’s uhm there was no question you didn’t talk about being gay it was one of these things that if you talked about it uhm you drew attention to yourself so you tried to do anything you could to to stay away from that because it went hand in hand with being bullied.
00:07:45 Girl2
Even if you aren’t gay or any of that you can still relate to them because they sort of went through troubles that other people have been through because like everyone’s been bullied it’s like not not a new thing so like ya.
00:07:57 Boy2
Julia and ??_________are 2 girls that are in a relationship by the way anyway.
00:08:01 Katelyn
Ya they’re like the first like openly lesbian relationship <talking over each other>
00:08:03 Boy2
Where it’s like both the both the couples are in the school <ya>
00:08:08 Rosalee Floyd
Just having conversations it’s freeing, it’s healing for people and discuss issues with compassion and try to come from a place of understanding.
00:08:19 Boy3
Like I knew Julie in grade 6 like we were in the same grade 6 class and we I’d be willing to interview them and I’m not just saying that because they’re a lesbian couple but
00:08:28 Katelyn
Ya I think they’d be comfortable around you and then like it’s also nice to have like a male there kind of thing like I don’t know but he’s not like a super masculine male.
00:08:41 VOC
You’re like campy you’re friendly I don’t know just not <talking over each other>
00:08:44 VOC
Just not <you’re masculine> you’re just not intimidating.
00:08:47 VOC
Ya he’s not intimidating exactly <talking over each other>
00:08:54 Boy3
I know what you’re I understand
00:09:00 Boy3
I’m just going to go for it. In terms of sexual activity how does it really work between you guys?
00:09:16 Metica Grade 11
Play dildo <uhm hmn> well ya we’re not really legal to buy them but
00:09:23 Julie Grade 12
not not that we have one
00:09:27 Metica
but we would….
00:09:30 Julie
We would use one but we don’t have one <ya>
00:09:33 Lenora Poulin Teacher
I think it’s okay for students to not understand or to be confused and to have questions and I think that the best way to deal with that is to ask questions and find out what is it like for uhm you know our gay students and our lesbian students.
00:09:46 Boy3
Ever since you guys came out ah do you find that any of your other friendships have been kind of jeopardized?
00:09:53 Metica
Well I had this one friend and she knew I was gay and she was like oh does that mean if you come over are you going to like me are you going to do anything with me? Are you going to rape me? It’s like no – just cause I’m – just cause I’m gay doesn’t mean I like every girl it’s like if you’re straight it doesn’t mean you like every guy.
00:10:21 Katelyn
So Leo is a transgender grade 8 <excuse me> so it’s a boy who used to be a girl uhm ya and she he came out like a month ago <really only a month ago> it was like to the school. Ya this school.
00:10:39 Lenora Poulin
In the 20 years that I’ve been here uhm there have been several mostly lesbian students who have been open at school and uhm and this is the first year we’ve had a transgendered student and uhm was I apprehensive when I knew this student was coming out – you bet I was.
00:10:54 Katelyn
Apparently they got phone calls saying like what the hell why is this person going to this school?
00:10:58 VOC
Really?
00:10:59 Katelyn
Ya and it’s like you’re going to stop someone from going to school
00:11:04 Girl2
I kind of had to look where I stepped when it came to him you know because it just kind of happened because I never really paid much attention to him. But now that it’s that he’s sort of come out and stuff like that and he’s still himself uhm I kind of admire that.
00:11:21 Boy3
Formerly Sapphire but then she is like wants to be a boy hence <Sapphire is Leo now.> Ya so now Sapphire is Leo.
00:11:32 VOC
Ya she she’s in grade 8 <ya …> He’s in grade 8 sorry.
00:11:41 Chris Schoeffel Teacher
She’s in ah she’s in my English class English 8 class. <sorry> He’s in my English 8 class and you know what that has not happened to me in class.
00:11:51 VOC (Katelyn)
Isabella after this like Sapphire’s or sorry Leo’s cousin she was talking about how like people will say things about Leo but not to his face. And Isabella always stands up for Leo and tells people she’s going to fight them it’s hilarious but you know.
00:11:59
Graphic: Isabella Grade 8
00:12:11 Girl2
So when I say transition it’s just you basically just change clothes and changed his persona, looks everything cause that’s that’s who he wants to be. So that’s basically pretty much it and if he wants to uhm have that surgery done then that’s his decision.
00:12:34 Rosalee Floyd
The students of Hope Secondary they they’ve been educated around the transgender issues prior to to Leo disclosing that ah that he was no longer Sapphire.
00:12:47 Katelyn
Like I felt weird <ya> that they made ??_____ they came in to all the schools and they said like or they came into all the classrooms sorry and they said we have a new student or we have a student that is transitioning and it was just like okay but it was like why do we have to know this like this is such a personal thing for him like I guess maybe the name change I don’t get…
00:13:06 Boy4
And they kind of get worried for no reason if you just flat out said this is Leo no explanation needed – this is Leo.
00:13:14 Katelyn
I just feel so weird about it like I I don’t care that Leo is Leo at all I I care that we had to make such a big deal because he’s Leo and not Sapphire.
00:13:24 Rosalee Floyd
Her family, his family ah was very proactive and you know came in to to talk to us and because they knew what Leo was feeling and what was right for him in his heart of hearts they did their research they came in to talk they did everything that they could to empower Leo.
00:13:46 Alejandra Dagnino Leo’s Aunt
And Leo is also the son of my heart I don’t have a son but if I were Leo would be it.
00:13:55 Leo Grade 8
Hi
00:13:58 Alejandra
Ignorance is what what breathes us fear and that’s where bullying comes from. So I mean I think everybody’s faced it at one point in time or another. But again we should be evolving and moving beyond that you’d think.
00:14:12 Boy5
My dad’s homophobic like insanely and all the times like gay bashing you’re just kind of sitting there kind of like shut up.
00:14:19 Pat
My dad he just wants that perfect son that’s going to get that girlfriend or I believe that’s what he would want.
00:14:25 Julie
My mom is really supportive actually she sticks up for me a lot and just supports me and she’s happy as long as I’m happy so.
00:14:37 Metica
Both my parents know about it and my dad doesn’t really mind and my mom just thinks I’ll get over it someday.
00:14:45 Alejandra
Leo’s side of the family knows our side of the family knows that Leo is now Leo ah on our side everybody’s accepting it’s not a big thing it’s like okay whatever unfortunately on Leo’s side not everyone is and that is the sad truth.
00:15:01 Lenora Poulin
I know that we have students whose parents uhm are not pleased that we are being so accepting about having especially a transgendered student in our school uhm ah and I don’t have an answer for that because ah I I’m puzzled by that.
00:15:23 Katelyn
Thursday it’s the May 17th it’s anti homophobia day and we’re doing like a Pride flag design kind of thing in the hallway.
00:15:33 Erin Wilkins
Ah this is a day to kind of take away from the negative connotations of ‘that’s so gay’ to take away from the word fag to kind of empower our our young people to stand up and be allies against, against homophobic bullying. It’s actually ah an international day.
00:15:53 Isabella
We have openly LGBTQ students here and it’s just supposed to help promote a safer environment.
00:16:04 Taylor
I think change right away is hard to see but over time hopefully we will be getting rid of the name calling and not only the name calling it’s the the people that allow the name calling you know the teachers that just turn away and go oh well that’s not really a bad word or well that’s not really making fun of them – but it is. And we we can’t be ignoring it and the policy will bring it into light and say that we’re not going to tolerate it and it people need to get punished if they’re going to be doing it.
00:16:38 Boy4
What happens if you actually just say screw the policy I’m going to do it anyway?
00:16:42 Katelyn
They’re just it’s meant to be there for more support because we’ve clearly seen that there’s just not enough so does that answer your question?
00:16:54 Pat
It’s a very fairly big task and it it’s a chance of it working but we’re we want to take that chance because we want to see how far we can go with it.
00:17:06 Erin Wilkins
The students are getting ready to do their presentation tomorrow at the board office so I was ah going over their power point with them and just running through some questions that they had and seeing how nervous they are for tomorrow.
00:17:20 Katelyn
Patrick’s nervous
00:17:21 Pat
A little bit
00:17:22 Erin Wilkins
But it looks great they did a really good job and I’m confident that ah that it’s going to go well.
00:17:28 Erin
So you don’t have to dress you know just dress like you <speaking over each other>
00:17:31 Pat
Oh really dress like me. <speaking over each other>
00:17:37 Erin
You can print off you can print off your uhm packages you can read off them you don’t have to have it memorized okay. Alright.
00:17:49 Girl4
How did the policy presentation go?
00:17:51 Katelyn
Well it went really like swimmingly that’s how I’m going to describe it swimmingly. Just like it was just like really smooth and really nice and like
00:18:00 VOC
Except
00:18:01 Voc
I I
Katelyn
Well that’s what I’m getting to …
00:18:12 Katelyn
My name is Katelyn (sp) Roberts I am in grade 11, Taylor Smith grade 12 she’s graduating this year and Patrick Fazarri who is also in grade 11 and we are all in GSA and we all consider ourselves allies of the LGBTQ community.
00:18:25 Taylor
LGBTQ standing for lesbian gay bisexual transgendered or two spirited and questioning.
00:18:33 Katelyn
Uhm a lot of the LGBTQ students in our school find that they are often excluded and so we’re there to help make their feelings heard included sorry and uhm ya just a support system really that’s what we are. We’re all allies.
00:18:50 Taylor
We suggest a zero tolerance approach pertaining to the code of conduct. Ah we believe students who harass others because of their gender identity and expression ah should face suspension and mandatory education on the issues of LGBTQ. I have friends that have been physically harassed and threatened with things that would not be appropriate to say to anyone in any circumstance based purely on uncertainty to their sexuality. They’ve come out of the closet and then gone right back in because of homophobia. I’m personally afraid to come out because of these examples and that was an HSS student in our school.
00:19:26 Katelyn
So it was like really well and then like Pat even and started like tearing up and crying and that was kind of sad.
00:19:33 Pat
I came out as being a homosexual about a year or two ago and my one big problem was I’m a I was completely afraid of coming out to my parents I was scared that they were going to not want me in my house any more. And so I had my sister talk with me with my parents across the table so that we could learn and learn that I am homosexual ….
00:20:09 Taylor
Alright just to reiterate we’re not asking for a policy tomorrow we know it’s not going to happen we just would really like to set up an LGBTQ community and develop a specific and discreet policy to protect our LGBTQ students.
00:20:29 Katelyn
Basically we finished the presentation and it went well and then we’re like do you guys have any questions and then there was like 3 or 4 people in there like ya it was really good like we’re, we’re super happy you guys came out like we love hearing from kids and then this one guy …
00:20:43 Old man
Oh of course I don’t want to be the sand in the ears
00:20:46 Katelyn
Had a women next to him it was like oh yes you do cause it like he’s like this old guy and like I don’t even know his name I don’t remember his name I don’t even want to know him …
00:20:55 Old man
You go to this group next month it might be another group and then we’ll be continuously making policies. I suggest we have a policy that covers everybody.
00:21:08 Katelyn
We just we want to make sure that LGBTQ students are feeling safer in our school.
00:21:13 Old man
Well this can go back and forth all night I ah I I agree maybe we should make the odd amendment here or there but there’s ah there’s a other people with other issues that figure they’re discriminated.
00:21:30 Katelyn
These LGBTQ students they do not feel safe enough with the current policy we want a discreet policy that will include and protect them and uhm one of the main components of it would be education.
00:21:42 Old man
Okay Thank you
00:21:46 Katelyn
And I was like okay any other questions? And then everyone else was like super happy.
00:21:52 Lady Trustee
We try to get the student voices much as possible with the various committees and whatnot that we have and sometimes it can be difficult but this is very exciting and I do hope that you do take a a a good role in this uhm as we go forward down this and thank you very much again.
00:22:08 VOC
Thank you <clapping>
00:22:18 Joanne Fazarri Pat’s Mom
He’s Patrick the one that we gave birth to so he hasn’t changed any <no> just because of his sexual orientation.
00:22:26 Ebi Fazarri Pat’s Dad
I’ll be honest it took me a little bit to get used to it but I’m fine with it and I have no issues with it whatsoever. And I think it’s great.
00:22:32 Joanne Fazarri
I think it was all good except for the one person seemed a little uhm against it but everybody else seemed very open to it I think it went well. Ya I think the the 3 of them did a great job.
00:22:46 Pat
All that we can hope for is that they agree with the policy and agree with trying to make a a another policy for it. Or even if they just amend the policy that they have right now that’s that’s such a big accomplishment for us.
00:22:57 Taylor
We’ll do everything it takes because these these kids are worth it, Patrick’s worth it all my friends are worth it.
00:23:59 Erin Wilkins
We have a long way to go I still have kids that don’t feel safe here I have kids that have come here and left Hope Secondary because they didn’t feel safe or supported. Uhm you know I have kids that wished we taught you know when we do the sexual education unit why aren’t we incorporating same sex couples into that.
00:24:17 VO Old Police footage
Finally Jimmy told his parents and they reported it to the Juvenile Authorities. Ralph was arrested and Jimmy was released on probation in the custody of his parents. One never knows when a homosexual is about he may appear normal and it may be too late when you discover he is mentally ill.
00:24:37 Leo
I’m just a normal person just like you and you and you. <laugh>
00:24:49
Graphic: On June 22, School District 78 accepted the proposal to develop a policy that will be inclusive of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning student community.
00:25:03
Credits
END OF TRANSCRIPT