Jeremy Dias visits Rainbow Schools to deliver message on equity and inclusion

Jeremy Dias will return to Rainbow Schools from February 21 to 23, 2012 to continue the conversation about equity and inclusion. Students from a number of schools will have an opportunity to hear his message. Jeremy Dias was in Sudbury last fall for the Rainbow District School Board’s Dare to Stand Out Conference. He also visited schools last spring.

“We want students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited and questioning to feel safe, secure, welcomed and valued in our schools,” says Superintendent Lesleigh Dye. “Jeremy Dias will speak about his experience of racism and homophobia growing up in Northern Ontario and what he is now doing to support students in the school system to create safer spaces.”

Jeremy Dias was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and grew up there until moving to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he attended high school. As a youth, he was motivated by social and political inequality to take action, volunteering with numerous organizations and charities. In high school, he started and led a number of clubs including Stop Racism and Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving. He also founded and coordinated the Sault Ste. Marie first regional LGBTQ youth group.

After coming out in high school, Jeremy faced extreme cases of discrimination by school officials. At 17, he began a legal case against his school and school board, and at 21 won Canada’s second largest human rights settlement. Jeremy used the money to found Jer’s Vision: Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative and the Jeremy Dias Scholarship.

Jeremy has been featured on Canada AM, Much Music, CTV News, Global News and CBC News; and has been a keynote speaker at countless conferences and events.
He is completing a degree in Psychology and Political Science at the University of Ottawa, continues to volunteer for a number of organizations, and is a columnist for 2B Magazine in Montreal. Jeremy Dias currently serves as Jer’s Vision’s Executive Director.

For more information, visit http://www.jersvision.org/.

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Media Contact:

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