GUELPH – Incidents of intolerance and hate against 2SLGBTQIA+ students and staff are increasing, according to Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) education director Peter Sovran.
This hate is taking place in-person and online, via face-to-face interactions, phone calls, letters, emails, and on social media, he said during the June 13 board meeting.
“There are two months in particular that these encounters increase in volume and escalate in intensity,” Sovran said – in February, when the schools celebrate “Black heritage, Black brilliance, and Black cultures, [and] in June, when we celebrate Pride.”
“Let me restate our collective responsibility to identify and describe racism and oppression and then work to dismantle it,” he said, referencing the equity statement read during UGDSB meetings.
“This work includes celebrating and supporting our diverse students, staff and communities, and pushing back against intolerant and hateful acts.”
The UGDSB “remains dedicated to building understanding, safety, inclusion and joy of 2SLGBTQIA+ identity into all of our school and work communities as part of our commitment to disrupting systemic oppression and hate in all its forms,” Sovran said.
