GUELPH – Throughout the month of June, the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) will be celebrating Pride Month at the board and school levels and as a community.
Many students, staff, parents/guardians and community members identify as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
A press release states that through Pride Month, the board will be highlighting and celebrating the work that the UGDSB does year-round as a board, as well as highlighting the work of student and staff groups.
To kick-off Pride Month, UGDSB schools and offices raised the Pride Flag on June 1 as a sign of support and celebration. Along with raising the flag, the board will provide schools with intentional learning resources that centre on the contributions of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and addresses homophobia, transphobia, biphobia and other forms of oppression by first person experts.
Resources to support Pride celebrations and learning will continue to be available to students and staff through the board’s internal Educator hub and will include previously created videos from 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and a series of lived experience resources that focus on excellence and positive histories.
Highlights of the month will include videos featuring Olympian Mark Tewksbury, activists Jer Dias and Spencer Wright, authors Jennifer Lavoie and Nathan Burgoine and musician Kate Reid.
The board is also inviting students and staff to celebrate Pride by sending in pictures of their Pride sidewalk, driveway or window art displays. New events and resources will be added to the Educator hub calendar throughout the month.
They will provide updates throughout the month that will feature voices from UGDSB Gay Straight Alliances and 2SLGBTQIA+ staff and student groups.
The board is dedicated to continuing equity, diversity and inclusion work and are committed to highlighting Pride Month celebrations each year.
