Espanola High School hosts Embrace Diversity: Free To Be Me Conference

Rainbow District School Board will host its eighth symposium aimed at creating and enhancing school-based supports for students who are lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and questioning (LGTBQ) as well as students with friends and family members in these communities. Approximately 400 students are registered for the conference, the largest attendance to date.

The Embrace Diversity: Free To Be Me Conference will take place on Thursday, October 27, 2016 at Espanola High School. There are two options available to participants: the Free To Be Me Light, a half-day conference from 9:30 am to 1 pm, and Free To Be Me Extended, the full-day conference from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.

The day’s event will begin at 10 am with a keynote address from activist Derek Forgie of North Bay, Ontario who now resides in Toronto. Forgie has delighted audiences across the country with his experience as a host, emcee, DJ, actor and comedian for various notable productions, including CTV’s The Social, MTV’s The Hills, Canada’s Worst Driver, Reach for the Top, and Last Comic Standing.

As the Founder and Chair of the Heterosexuals for Same-Sex Equality (HSSE), Derek Forgie has devoted much of his adult life to the pursuit of equality for all. The goal of the organization is to relay a message of acceptance and understanding to society, by correcting misinformation and cultural myths that negatively affect civil rights surrounding same-sex issues. Forgie has brought his passion to such events as “What Makes a Man” and “An Evening of Hope,” and has hosted and produced many fundraisers for The Ontario Breast Cancer Foundation, Camp Ten Oaks and The Stephen Lewis Foundation.

At 11:45 am, Jeremy Dias, of the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity, will present a workshop on “Bisexuality.” Participants will learn about the stigmatization often associated with bisexuality and how to create safe and inclusive spaces for all.

Throughout the day, students can choose from a variety of workshops including: Coming Out: My Story, Discussing 2 Spirit, Finding Your Voice: A Film Workshop, Healthy Sexuality and the Medicine Wheel, It Gets Better… Sort Of (LGBT After High School), LGBT Youth and the Law, Painting, Sports and LGBT, and Yoga.

At 5 pm in the school library, social worker Alison Orford invites parents/guardians and educators to a special workshop about the warning signs of mental health issues. Guests will leave with a list of resources and services to help youth navigate through adolescence. Everyone is welcome to attend. Registration is not required.

School leaders, Athletic Council members, School Councils, and Gay Straight Alliances from Rainbow secondary schools will participate in the conference along with Grade 7 and 8 student representatives.

“The purpose of the conference is to enable students to address issues surrounding homophobia and transphobia in their schools and communities, and to brainstorm ways to create safer schools,” says Rainbow District School Board Superintendent Lesleigh Dye. “Once again, participants will walk away with tools they can use for the benefit of all students in their schools.”

Superintendent Dye praised the organizing committee for their efforts, including Kristina Rivard Gobbo, Patrick Hopkin, Jayson Stewart, Calvin Makela, Kari Gerhard, Sandy MacEwan and Justin Spencer.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171, ext. 7217.