In 1995 social worker Tony Gambini and Toronto School Board trustee John Campey spearheaded a project to address the failure of the mainstream educational system to keep queer high school students safe and engaged. They worked with school administrators and the school board to establish an alternative program for at-risk LGBTQ youth. Triangle Program became and remains Canada’s first and only classroom specifically for LGBTQ students.
Triangle is characterized by its queer and out teachers, its safe classroom space away from Toronto District School Board (TDSB) property, and queer students who were pushed out of mainstream schools and who may otherwise have turned to the streets rather than finish high school.
Those who agreed to teach at Triangle effectively outed themselves in a homophobic system. Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto (MCCT) pastor Brent Hawkes agreed to house the program in the church basement, rent-free and without demand for any religious instruction. And Oasis Alternative Secondary School welcomed Triangle’s administrative functions under its umbrella.
In the beginning, Triangle was a last-chance stopgap for up to 18 queer students in grades 9 and 10. Successful students reintegrated into diploma-granting schools from grade 11 to finish their education and, finally, earn their diplomas. Still, for many, returning to mainstream schools was unimaginable.
The first Triangle students were in their late teens and early 20s. There were days when only three or four showed up. Triangle has changed significantly over the years. While still a program for at-risk queer youth, a number of trans-identified youth have recently participated. Grades 11 and 12 are now offered and student enrollment has grown to 45. Students enter the program at an earlier age, attendance is consistently high and the teacher complement has doubled. In 2006, Triangle transformed from a stopgap to a destination. Ten students graduated from the most recent class, some of them receiving scholarships to help them pursue higher education or their dream jobs.
