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UCDSB Celebrates Diversity and Acceptance on International Day of Pink
UCDSB Celebrates Diversity and Acceptance on International Day of Pink
Posted on 04/12/2022
International Day of Pink

April 12, 2022 (Brockville, ON) – Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) staff and students will be dressed in pink tomorrow, April 13, for International Day of Pink to show their support and solidarity for people in our school system and community that identify as Two-Spirited, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, Intersexed, Asexual or express their gender and sexuality in other ways.

International Day of Pink is a global movement aimed at creating a more inclusive and diverse world, and just one way that the UCDSB works to stand up against bullying, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogyny in our schools and communities.

The day was founded in 2007, inspired by Nova Scotia students who stood up for their gay classmate who was being bullied for wearing pink. Hundreds of students wore pink to school to show the student that he was not alone.

“The fact that this movement was started by students speaks volumes about its importance in schools. We need to continue to create spaces that are safe and welcoming for students who don’t identify as heteronormative or along the traditional gender binary,” says UCDSB Equity and Inclusion Principal Dan McRae.  

“There is a clear connection between mental health and student achievement. Students that feel included at school and have a strong sense of belonging are more successful than their peers. There is racism and homophobia in our schools, and this has an impact on the mental health of our students and their families. The International Day of Pink reminds us that bullying takes many forms including anti-black racism, homophobia, transphobia and islamophobia. Today, we stand together with our students, showing them that we know better and are committed, more than ever, to doing better.”  

McRae travels to elementary and secondary schools across the district to talk with students about inclusion, belonging and diversity, and actively works with students and staff to achieve the UCDSB’s overall goal to reduce achievement gaps and improve learning outcomes for all students, regardless of class, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and other historical forms of marginalization.

“Principal McRae has a vital role in our school board,” says UCDSB Chair John McAllister. “Teaching students and staff about the importance of acceptance and bringing awareness to the bias that exists – conscious and unconscious – is a big steppingstone to reducing achievement gaps and better supporting students. But it’s not just his job – it's the responsibility of all of us to stand up when we see injustices and to educate each other.” 

 

For more information, please contact:

April Scott-Clarke
Manager of Communications
Upper Canada District School Board
[email protected]

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