TORONTO – David Jason was in Grade 4 when the bullying began.

His self-described feminine mannerisms and “high, squeaky” voice attracted the attention of his classmates who began to ask him why he was gay.

By Grade 6, those classmates had graduated to hurling homophobic slurs, with “faggot” being [...]]]> By: Michelle McQuigge, The Canadian Press

TORONTO – David Jason was in Grade 4 when the bullying began.

His self-described feminine mannerisms and “high, squeaky” voice attracted the attention of his classmates who began to ask him why he was gay.

By Grade 6, those classmates had graduated to hurling homophobic slurs, with “faggot” being the most common.

The next two years saw Jason’s enthusiasm for academics wane under the stress of the escalating verbal taunts and occasional physical harassment from his peers.French class was the scene of constant muttering, and the back of his head became a frequent target for balls of paper and other projectiles.

He transferred to a school well outside his Toronto neighbourhood in the hope of getting a fresh start, but encountered only new tormentors and staff who turned a blind eye when he was heckled or shoved into lockers.

When a vice-principal urged him to transfer to the Triangle Program, a Toronto high school catering solely to lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and transgendered youth, he was apathetic.

“I was suffering so much from a depression that I was thinking, `Fine, I may as well go, because there at least I can be hated for something other than being gay,’” the 19-year-old said in a telephone interview.

The move proved a turning point for Jason, who credits the school for restoring his confidence and helping him accept his bisexuality. Still, he deplores the necessity for such a program and the mainstream school system that has allowed homophobia to flourish.

New research suggests Jason’s experience is far from unique. A study from gay rights activist organization Egale Canada and the University of Winnipeg found gay and straight students alike witnessed similar bullying in their high schools on a daily basis.

The study, which surveyed 3,600 secondary school students across Canada, found nearly half of respondents reported hearing homophobic slurs on a daily basis.

Of the 14 per cent of students who identified as LGBTQ — lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer — two-thirds of them said they did not feel safe in their school environment and 51 per cent said they had been verbally harassed over their sexual orientation. More than a fifth of LGBTQ respondents said they had been physically bullied.

Lead researcher Catherine Taylor said students often felt victimized simply by listening to everyday chatter in the hallways.

The phrase “That’s so gay” — which 70 per cent of all students reported hearing each day — does great damage to a population that’s already feeling marginalized, she said.

“How would you like a word that goes to the core of your being used as a synonym for stupid every day at school? Because that’s what’s happening,” Taylor said. “We can think of this as a form of symbolic violence.”

Children of LGBTQ parents were at particularly high risk of verbal or physical harassment, Taylor said, adding 45 per cent of such students received unwanted sexual attention. Many of the students were persecuted despite being straight themselves.

Such homophobic attitudes create social barriers that many students struggle to overcome, she said.

“A lot of students with LGBTQ parents don’t disclose the status of their parents, and that means they don’t get to be like all the other kids who get to talk about their parents, say how great they are or complain about how rotten they are,” Taylor said.

“None of that is open to them because they get the very clear message that `If you have queer parents, you’re in trouble in school culture.’”

At Triangle, staff strive to challenge the prevailing attitudes through open dialogue and an alternative approach to the standard high school curriculum.

Triangle’s three teachers, who all self-identify as LGBTQ, encourage students to talk about their struggles to come out as well as the traumatic experiences that drove them out of the mainstream system.

Teacher Anthony Grandy said the staff also try to approach subjects such as math and English through a “queer lens,” a process which can involve something as simple as studying HIV in a science class or using LGBTQ-related statistics as part of a math unit.

The latest research came as no surprise to Grandy, who said Triangle’s very existence starkly illustrates the severity of the problem.

The staff take pride in the work they do and the students they work with, but would love to see a day where their support was not necessary, he said.

“Our ultimate goal is not to exist,” he said. “We are a Band-Aid solution until the mainstream schools … get their act together and address homophobia and transphobia directly and stop it in its tracks.”

Across Canada, independent groups are already hard at work to combat homophobia.

Egale has established a network to help high schools form “Gay-Straight Alliances,” student groups that Taylor credits with improving safety at dozens of schools across the country.

In Toronto, a group called Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia (TEACH) co-ordinates student-led workshops at schools throughout the city in an effort to create a broader support network for queer youth and educate the adults who work with them.

Program co-ordinator Anna Penner said the program — which operates under the auspices of Planned Parenthood Toronto — is in great demand as high schools grapple with the contentious issue.

Despite the distressing examples of homophobia Penner hears of through her work with TEACH, shebelieves students often derive great strength from their difficult high school experiences.

“So many youth are telling stories of isolation and unhappiness, but the primary message is resilience,” she said.

Jason’s story is evidence of the ability of those subjected to homophobic bullying and harassment to find the strength to both forge ahead and thrive.

His dread of French class has receded to the point where he hopes to study the language long-term at the University of Toronto.

He ultimately hopes for a chance to attend teachers college, where he says his own turbulent school days will help him create a more empathetic environment for his future students.

“Talking about my experiences is a way to get back to my community, spreading my opinion on how I feel,” he said. “I feel confident enough now to do that.”

Click here to view the video on the TVO site.

Triangle Youth joined hundreds of people in a vigil for the lives lost due to homophobic & transphobic bullying in the Toronto village.  Current and past students spoke out on their experiences and [...]]]>

Triangle Student, Rafael Flores, at the Toronto Vigil for the lives lost due to homophobic & transphobic bullying (courtesy The Toronto Star)

Triangle Youth joined hundreds of people in a vigil for the lives lost due to homophobic & transphobic bullying in the Toronto village.  Current and past students spoke out on their experiences and their desire for more to be done protect and value LGBTQ youth in the school system. The vigil was in memory of the queer youth who took their lives and a call to action to policy makers and school boards for immediate action to save lives.

Visit the following sites to review media coverage and see our youth in action.

CityTV – Hundreds Gather In Support Of Gay Teens

Xtra- Toronto vigil for lives lost due to homophobic and transphobic bullying

Global News - Vigil condemns homophobic bullying

Click here to watch [...]]]> Global News interviews a Triangle Program teacher (Jeffrey White) and student (Shameal Daniel) on their views and experiences with homophobia and related bullying in our school system. The news segment looks at the higher risk of suicide in LGBTQ youth and what is being done given the recent rash of publicized and tragic suicides.

Click here to watch the video.

(It Gets Better, Global Toronto, October 5, 2010)

For more information on the Toronto vigil for the lives lost due to homophobic & transphobic bullying on October 6, check out the facebook event.

In 1995, the deep cuts to education of the “Spare us Harris” years loomed. But luckily, just before the axe fell, social worker Tony Gambini and Toronto School Board [...]]]>

Toronto’s Triangle Program ensures at-risk queer youth get every chance to succeed

Doreen Fumia & Johannah May Black / Toronto / Thursday, August 26, 2010

In 1995, the deep cuts to education of the “Spare us Harris” years loomed. But luckily, just before the axe fell, 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.

The teachers deserve much of the credit for these changes. They are role models, janitors, guidance counsellors, cooks and fundraisers. Much more than teachers, they work ridiculously long hours to help students heal, find accommodation, food and a love of learning. Triangle has at its core a queer focus that affirms queer identities. Students learn about queer icons in literature and history. In science they debate the “gay gene.” In math, “moms or dads,” rather than “mom and dad,” go to the store. It’s simple, inclusive and affirming. With the help of LGBTQ guest speakers and artist educators, the students have produced impressive creative queer works, some of which recently debuted at the Queer West Video Festival.

As an off-board site, many of the costs must be covered independently by Triangle and MCCT. The big-ticket items are the nutrition program and technology. Fundraising is labour intensive, and at Triangle it stretches teachers beyond their capacity. The School Community Council and Friends of Community Schools have been helpful, and the queer community has responded generously.

But operating expenses are permanent and fundraising campaigns are temporary. In 2007, Triangle was a beneficiary of the Pride and Remembrance Run. And that year teachers had a good base from which to work, enabling them to concentrate their energies on the classroom.

This year brings new course offerings to broaden students’ educational experience. In addition, the basement classroom space has been renovated with generous support from MCCT; students will return in September to three separate bright classrooms. The returning teachers — Jeffrey White, Anthony Grandy and Susan Magerman — are fretting about how they will find the money to supply these new rooms with the furniture and technology needed to ensure the cutting-edge instruction our youth deserve. 

Triangle has a lot to celebrate on its 15th anniversary. But moving forward takes the continued commitment and support of teachers, the MCCT, the TDSB and the queer community. By penetrating the homophobic spaces of schools in the GTA, Triangle provides at-risk queer youth with the tools and confidence to claim their identities and their right to a good education free from homophobic violence.

Doreen Fumia is an associate professor at Ryerson University and Johannah May Black is a doctoral student at York University. Both serve on the Triangle School Community Council.

Click here to read article on Xtra website