International Day Against Homophobia 2011

This is just a short little note to update people on the continuous struggle the Williams Lake Gay/Straight Alliance is facing.

I haven't been a real member for about a year now, because I moved away, and my job hasn't really allowed me to go to meetings all that often now that I'm back in town. I did help out with Get Loud 2011 but that has been about it. I'm not aware of all the fine details of matters they are facing this year. However, being that I'm the only author of this blog who still lives in town at all (and probably the only one who hasn't totally forgotten about it), I think I should let everybody know that once again, the GSA could not include a gender bending day in the activities for Anti-Homophobia Week. From what I was told, the PAC decided it was "not appropriate". There was no fight for it this year, probably because everyone remembers what happened last year and doesn't want it to escalate to that point again. The GSA left it alone and came up with a plan B.

I'm very upset that this event was once again declared inappropriate and didn't happen. It almost feels like the struggle last year was all for nothing, but one has to keep in mind that combating homophobia and hate of all kinds is a long, tiring battle. Apparently the media being all over the school board last May wasn't sufficient enough to change things, but that isn't to say that things will never change.

I'm hoping to speak with the PAC members at some point before the school year is over to discuss the issue so that maybe next year, a gender bending day will finally take place without difficulty. I'll write another post with the details if this does happen.

- Lexi

So.

It's been a while since I've posted something on th blog, and I stumbled across this on XTRA today. I've been scouting for an article about the LGBTQ policy in Williams Lake, and instead, I found this in my search.

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Who_are_the_adults_here-8737.aspx

The piece is actually very well put together and it makes me smile. I enjoy how Natasha tied in the incident and situation with the young man with what had happened in Williams Lake and how our LGBT youth take challenges head on and grow and mature because of them. I specifically like how she pointed out that Wright got tongue tied and flustered. I enjoy that, a lot. I think it's my sick sense of humor though.

I'll keep an eye out for the article and post it when it comes out. I didn't expect XTRA to follow up on us after such a period of time-you can probably imagine my shock when I got the phone call. But I'm happy about it-I think it means that we actually made a difference and an impact.

But I'll say it again, we'll just have to wait and see.

My hopes are for everyone in Williams Lake. I can't /wait/ to see what you guys all do.

It's been a long time since my last update - I've been incredibly busy this summer. Since I last blogged, Prop 8 in California has been overturned, making gay marriage once again legal in California, as it should be everywhere.

I've made the choice to move to Edmonton in order to go to university. I'm really sad about leaving Williams Lake and the GSA behind, but I think this will benefit more in the long run. I'm planning on doing first a journalism diploma at Grant MacEwan University, and then a Bachelor of Applied Communications in Professional Writing. I'm going to continue LGBT rights activism in any way that I can - I'll probably get involved with the Edmonton Pride Centre.

I'm hoping that the GSA here will continue running. We've done up the calendars for the new school year, so there is an outline for the new leaders to take over. It's been a good run and we accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible in the short semester of our existence - only the sky is the limit now.

Good luck & I love you guys.

2009/2010 School Year Ends

From left to right: Darren Sutherland, Connie Engelhart, Pherris Herbert, Lexi Saffel, Riley Fisher.
Bottom Row: Morgan Freeman, Tara Delisle, Megan Lucks, Jolene Veitch.
Not pictured: Dylan Matheson, Felicia Aggiss, Sarah Peek-Philpott, Jennifer Palmgren.

Well kids, the GSA's last meeting was today. We finished the rough draft of the calendar for the 2010/2011 school year, once everything is confirmed we are going to present it to the CSS staff, the WLSS staff and the school board. We also took group pictures - I posted our "official" photo (aka the nicest shot we got), the rest can be viewed on the Facebook group.

It wasn't anything fancy and we had fun, but then again, we always do. I sort of forgot that it was the last meeting until the very end, and then I got a bit panicky - this is it. This is the last time this specific group of people is going to be together for a GSA meeting. I tried to say it but I don't think I managed to say it very well, so I'll rephrase it:

Thank you so much to everybody who came to the meetings, who helped us out with our events, to the people who made Get Loud happen, to the people who gave us their endless and undying support, and to our amazing sponsor teachers. You're all a part of the GSA in spirit, whether you were considered a member or not, and thank you so, so much. The GSA gave me a reason to go to school, it gave me something to work for, it helped me figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life (I am for sure continuing with LGBT rights activism). It gave me the courage to come out in front of 200 people, finally tell Facebook (and therefore everybody I know) that I am "interested in women", and to finally publicize my (on again, off again) relationship of two years with my beautiful girlfriend on Facebook. I learned a lot of life lessons, both easy and harsh. Being involved in the GSA has made me the happiest I have been in years - Tuesday is my favourite day of the week by far.

As of right now, I'm planning on staying in town for another year and helping out with the GSA, but I don't know for how long I'll actually be here. I want to be around right until the end but I might have to go with the flow and allow life to take it's course rather than forcing myself to stay here to see the GSA's first complete school year to an end. I wish everybody the best and hope the group we started can stay alive - we promoted and created more change in this town in a single semester than I ever dreamed possible, and now only the sky is the limit. I'm so proud of everything we accomplished and I can't say thank you enough to everybody who was involved and who supported us.

Tolerance vs. Acceptance

I hate hearing people say thinks like "Tolerance of LGBT rights is important," or something along those lines. At about 1:52 in the Global interview (video is below), School District No. 27 superintendent Diane Wright says that "the true intent" was "tolerance for all people". Ah man, that set me right off as soon as I heard her say that. No, our true intent was NOT "tolerance for all people", it was ACCEPTANCE for all people.



There is a fine line between the two. YouthNoise.com explains it very well:

Tolerance is to put up with something with protest, and acceptance is to put up with something without protest.

Yes, there is a huge difference. A person who tolerates you is sort of like that friend that two-times you: in your face, they are really friendly, but you always know that they are saying something about you when you are not there.

An acceptor may not want that lifestyle or thing for you, but approves every move that you make...

That's how it is. Tolerance may temporary and can be revoked at any time. People who tolerate do not accept you as you are but feel that blatantly rejecting you would be rude and unproductive. You know how every class has that one really annoying kid that everybody wishes would just shut up, but nobody says anything? Everybody just tolerates them. It doesn't mean they necessarily accept them for being so annoying, but nobody wants to be mean. Then eventually towards the end of the semester, somebody snaps and goes off on the annoying kid. It was just a matter of time.

People who are tolerant of LGBT people don't agree with what they consider a "lifestyle choice", but they don't want to be mean. They are uncomfortable around said people and maybe even are hiding hateful thoughts and feelings, but they don't think it would be appropriate to do or say anything about it. But, everybody has a breaking point, and maybe some day they will snap and do or say something negative or hurtful to said LGBT person. These are the same people who say things like "I don't mind gay people as long as they act straight in public."

In our community, in most of Canada, we already have tolerance. I feel like my sexuality is tolerated here in town, but that doesn't mean everybody accepts it. Canadians are notoriously polite - yes, this is a stereotype, but it still rings true in a lot of cases - and a lot of people hide their true feelings about LGBT people depending on what company they keep. Maybe they will be neutral towards LGBT rights-related discussions in public or around certain friends, but will say otherwise around other friends or at a church meeting. People who tolerate can be viciously two-faced. Tara told me a story about a girl she knows saying that gay people are demonic - but this same girl is civil to me in public and even attended Get Loud, being fully aware I'm a "practicing lesbian". She is tolerant but by no means accepting.

Acceptance is being okay with who people are and the things they may do. Acceptance is like, "Hey man, I know you're gay and I love you for it." Acceptance is not thinking twice about whether or not a person is gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual, male, female, both, otherwise; it doesn't matter, because people are people no matter what. I came across this blog entry, and it describes the idea better than I can;

Acceptance is something we accept as part of life, part of society, part of people. It’s there and we don’t have a problem with it, we’re happy to share our space with it, happy to share our lives, our world with it. Tolerance is something we endure. Tolerance is the trial, the chore, the annoyance. It’s something we wish would go away, something we avoid exposure to as much as possible. Something we deal with only as little as we can.

Usually when people talk about wanting "tolerance" I feel a twinge of annoyance and maybe rage depending on the context, but I don't say anything. I'm going to start saying something because I am so sick of people not knowing the difference. I don't want mine or anybody else's sexuality to be tolerated, I want it to be accepted.