Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community in a predominantly Christian town such as Niverville, you encounter many different reactions. Some close friends and family are accepting and supportive, but there are those who are close-minded.
We have experienced bullying in the form of name-calling, with names such as lesbian (neither of us are), gay (not in a kind and supportive way), as well as fag and faggot. Some students are fearful to even discuss LGBTQ+ subjects with their parents, knowing they won’t support or understand. For a Christian community, there is a lot of hate in some people’s hearts.
With support we received from friends, family, and some teachers, we recently formed a Sexuality And Gender Alliance (SAGA) group within the Niverville High School. The purpose of this group is to talk about challenges that members of the LGBTQ+ community face, allow people to feel welcome without judgment, and create a safe, loving, and supportive environment—an environment that many students do not receive at home. It also has many cool and awesome straight members who want to be allies of the LGBTQ+ members.
A few of us students heard that MP Ted Falk would be attending the grand opening of the Niverville High School and were aware of his views on women’s reproductive rights as well as gay marriage. Falk had gone as far as yelling out in the House of Commons that women did not have the right to abortion. We do, and we felt it was important to let our disapproval of his views be known and exercise our right to freely express ourselves through a peaceful protest.
We believe that it was important to protest for those who either can’t or feel fearful to do so. We believe that members of the LGBTQ+ community have the same rights as everyone else, and that Falk does not have the right to dictate to us what we should and should not do with our bodies. It is our hope, through our actions, that others in the LGBTQ+ community stand up for themselves and their rights.
Although we had discussed the protest with the school’s vice principal, and had originally received approval, we were not supported by the school administration on the day of. The support we did receive came from other students and a couple of teachers.
On the day of the protest, we arrived with T-shirts that we had prepared as well as a rainbow cape. The T-shirts had sayings such as “Love is a Human Right,” “Equality,” and “My Body, My Choice, My Right.” Only maybe three shirts and one cape would have been worn.
However, the vice principal told us that the shirts made too much of a statement and one teacher was told not to wear a shirt made for her. Given the initial support from the vice principal, we felt attacked and not supported on the day of the event. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community, you already feel small and insignificant. This made it worse.
We felt that a new school might also have a new attitude and be more accepting, but now we feel we were wrong. It feels like it is just the same close-minded people with bigoted beliefs. We have also gone two weeks without an apology to us and the SAGA group.
The upside to this is that we stood up for ourselves, other women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and we have found support from many people in and out of the community. The downside is we worry that attitudes in the school division won’t change. We worry that there will still be people who prefer to live with hatred in their heart rather than love.
People who identify as LGBTQ+ are a vulnerable minority group. If you have ever found yourself in a position where you are bullied or discriminated against, or you have been persecuted, this is how we often feel. LGBTQ+ folks are generally not accepted by the larger community and can live with fear and anxiety. Cases of depression and suicide are higher among these people.
Remember, we could be members of your church, people you work with, family, or friends. As you get to know people who are different from you, you will see we are not scary or bad. We are just looking for understanding. We are human, and there is too much hate, pain, and suffering in the world. We believe Love is what matters—and it is needed more than ever right now.
