October 10: Lo-Ellen Park hosts Dare to Stand Out Conference

Rainbow District School Board will host its fifth symposium aimed at creating and enhancing school-based supports for students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning as well as students with friends and family members in these communities.

The Dare to Stand Out Conference, being presented in partnership with Jer’s Vision, will take place on Thursday, October 10, 2013 from 9 am to 10 pm at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School. The day will begin with a keynote address by Teddy Syrette and a variety of dynamic and engaging activities and workshops, and close with Sudbury’s very first Gay-Straight Alliance High School Dance. Workshop topics include The Kinsey Scale; Dating; Queer Activism, History and Education; Sports and LGBTQ Issues; and Queer Parenting. Students will make posters / banners and learn how to create a public service announcement. Teachers and parents/guardians are welcome to attend a roundtable discussion on LGBTQ issues and schooling at 3 pm.

Teddy Syrette’s keynote address, entitled “Win-GAY-po: The Story of 2Spirited Ted”, is an indepth look at a young man struggling with a double identity crisis and his discovery of being a gay First Nation male in Northern Ontario. Teddy Syrette is a 27-year-old two-spirited Ojibway from Batchewana First Nation who grew up in Rankin. He is a recent graduate of the Social Service Worker – Native Specialization program at Sault College and is currently a Resource Specialist – IT/Web with a specialization in social media at the Sault Community Career Centre. His presentation will begin at 9:50 am.

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. Leading up to the conference (on October 8 and 9, 2013), Jeremy Dias will visit a number of Rainbow Schools to continue the conversation on equity and inclusion.

“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,” said Superintendent Lesleigh Dye. “Once again, participants will walk away with tools and resources they can use for the benefit of all students in their schools.”

Superintendent Dye praised the Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School Gay-Straight Alliance for organizing the Dare to Stand Out Conference under the leadership of teacher Patrick Barnholden. “Lo-Ellen Park was the first Rainbow secondary school to organize a Gay-Straight Alliance and present this conference,” she said. “They continue to share their success for the benefit of other schools.”

The Dare to Stand Out Conference and Jeremy Dias visits to Rainbow Schools will lead up to Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week from November 17 to 23, 2013.

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Media Contact:

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