Serving City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland and Peterborough Counties.

Shifting OUTlook: Fleming College Promotes Safe and Inclusive Spaces

* Listen to each other * Ask for clarification * Balance participation * Challenge respectfully * Honour confidentiality * Speak from our own perspective * Ask questions!!

* PARN has a 20 year history of serving Peterborough and the Four Counties * PARN’s work is based on the social determinants of health, the principles of Harm Reduction and anti-oppression. * The goal is to meet people where they are, nurture resilience, and build on existing assets.

* Our work in HIV has meant becoming experts on marginalization and factors that put people at risk. * These include, poverty, homophobia, homonegativity, HIV/AIDS-phobia, gender, gender identity, and gender inequality, sexual health, women’s rights, youth issues, addictions, heterosexism and so on. * Prejudice and discrimination continue to fuel the spread of HIV.

* Reduce stereotyping and it’s negative impacts. * Foster shifts that enhance existing school culture to improve learning, safety and a sense of belonging. * Build on good work already being done.

The people of Ontario and the Legislative Assembly: * Believe that a healthy, safe and inclusive learning environment where all students feel accepted is a necessary condition for student success; * Understand that students cannot be expected to reach their full potential in an environment where they feel insecure or intimidated; * Believe that students need to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, attitude and values to engage the world and others …….. From the preamble to Bill 13:

Reteaching Gender

* Cultural Competence suggests that ethnicity, race, colour, & language are only a few aspects of culture. * We are all different, each with a unique identity and personal culture * This means that we have a specific lens through which we view and assess the world, leading to assumptions based on prejudice.

* Cultural competence is not about eliminating prejudice, rather acquiring the knowledge, tools and skills to bridge difference. * Different than the tolerance model, it emphasizes the importance of self- awareness in knowing & understanding others, making space to unpack our discomfort, not bury it.

Addressing the attitudes, values and beliefs that drive behaviour.

* “There is evidence that gay, lesbian, and transgender Canadians experience discrimination that leads to stress that has adverse health effects. This is especially a problem during adolescence when gay & lesbian youth need to come to terms with their self identity.” - Social Determinants of Health, The Canadian Facts. J. Mikkonen, D. Raphael. 2010

* Heterosexism * Homophobia * Homonegativity * Transphobia * Misogyny * Cisgender

* Stereotyping is a thought or idea. * Prejudice is a feeling. * Homophobia or Racism is an action. Put another way: * Stereotyping is the way an individual thinks. * Prejudice is the way individuals behave. * Discrimination (Homophobia) is systemic.

Impact of Social Media

* Biological Sex * Gender Identity * Sexual Orientation * Sexual Behaviour

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transsexual Transgender Intersex Queer Questioning 2-Spirit Allies

Homophobia/ Transphobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. - Coretta Scott King

Victims and persons accused of police-reported hate crimes, by age group, Statisitcs Canada, Among the provinces, the highest rate of hate crime was reported in Ontario. Peterborough 4 th highest in the province.

Findings from previous years indicate that hate crimes targeting sexual orientation, specifically homosexuality, are more likely than other types of hate crime to be violent. This trend was also seen in 2010, as almost two-thirds (65%) of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were violent. In comparison, 34% of racially motivated hate crimes and 17% of religiously motivated hate crimes were violent. Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were also more likely than other types to result in physical injury to victims. Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation often result in physical injury

* The knowledge, skills, attitude and values to bridge difference are critical to foster a healthy, safe and inclusive learning environment where ALL students feel accepted, creating the necessary conditions for student success. Where students don’t just survive the system, they thrive in it.

* Caster Semenya; CBC, The Passionate Eye, Dr. Gerard Conway * Ted Talks; Alice Dreger; Is Anatomy Destiny Johanna Blakley; Social Media & the end of Gender * Sex, Lies and Gender (National Geographic) Dr. Tiger Howard Devore * EGALE Canada; Every Class in Every School, national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools, final report - May 2011

* Shifting OUTlook is the first of 3 levels, each level builds on the one before; * Level 2: Being an LGBTQ Ally (insignia) * Level 3: Train the trainer (certificate) * Join a student club; * Frost Gay Straight Alliance * * Fleming Association of Queer Students *

If you have any comments or questions: Debbie Harrison, Fleming Diversity Office, or x1179 Peter Williams or anya gwynne at PARN