Teaching About Pride
I started my teaching career at a public middle school in Toronto about two decades ago. At that time, I was not comfortable being personally out to my students.
LGBTQ+
Women In and Out of the Closet
By removing the phrase “male person” from the crime of gross indecency in 1954, the Canadian government declared sex between women a crime.
Growing a Gender-Inclusive Biology Curriculum
Biology is the study of a diverse range of living things, and biology affirms all genders.
Uncomfortable Truths: What if Santa Claus was Gay?
Homosexuality has been decriminalized in Canada for 50 years and yet many teachers still worry about offending the values and beliefs of homophobic people.
“Try to Lay Low”: Growing Up Gay in Pre-1969 Canada
It isn’t easy to teach the history of homosexuality in Canada. We interviewed three gay men who were there and remember what it was like growing up before Decriminalization.
SOGI: Getting the Terminology Right
Gender fluid. Two-spirit. Trans. Cisgender. These are some of the terms students can use to describe where they are on the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Inclusivity Challenge: Is Canada a Just Society?
In my Grade 10 Canadian History course, students explore LGBTQ+ history the same way they explore the stories of many different Canadians in the context of our history.
LGBTQ+ Refugees in Canada
The persistence of violence against LGBTQ+ people in countries where homosexuality is legal remains worrisome and creates a refugee situation that is not that easy to prove.
Addressing LGBTQ+ Bullying in Your School
Almost two million LGBTQ+ teenagers consider suicide each year. Does this statistic scare you? If not, it should.