top of page
Supporting Diversity
Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA)
wht is a GSA
What Is A GSA?
00:00 / 02:37
Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSA), are student-run clubs that unite 2SLGBTQIA+ and allied students to build community and organize around issues impacting them in their schools. Some GSAs extend past their school community to support the greater population.
Every GSA is responsible to create its own Missions and Values. This includes setting goals to meet the needs of its members and planning out initiatives to run throughout the year.
GSA activities can be categorized into three types: Social, Support and Activist.
Social Activities are an opportunity for students to meet and connect with other 2SLGBTQIA+ Community members to make friendships.
Examples of these activities include:​​
1. Snack and Chats (Bring snacks and a few topics to chat about)
2. Board Games
3. Trivia
4. Painting or Colouring
5. Cooking
Support Activities are an opportunity for students to collaborate on creating safe spaces and to talk about the various issues they face in school (and/or their greater community). This can include topics such as discrimination from teachers or support from school administration.
Examples of these activities include:​
1. Creating posters on pronouns
2. Hosting 2SLGBTQIA+ dances
3. Discussing gendered uniform policies
4. Curating discussion points for Teachers to address with their classes
5. Creating announcements that share 2SLGBTQIA+ representation
Activist Activities are an opportunity for students to take on leadership roles to improve school climate through campaigns and events that raise awareness. This can include changing policies or practices in their schools.
Examples of these activities include:​
1. Modifying gendered uniform/ clothing guidelines
2. Raising money for gender affirming gear
3. Silence campaigns that target 2SLGBTQIA+ bullying and harassment
4. Hosting 2SLGBTQIA+ events year round, not just in June (Pride Month)
5. Communicate with local Pride organizations to collaborate and plan extra-curricular activities
A GSA is not limited to choosing one activity, and can-do all activities. For example, a GSA can host a snack and chat the first meeting, a brainstorming session for safe spaces the second meeting, and plan a gender affirming gear campaign in the third meeting. All activities are valid and help to harbour a safe school community.
References:
GSA Network (What Is A GSA?)
laws
The Laws Around GSAs
Jamie's Story
00:00 / 02:35
Jamie Hubley was a grade 10 student, from Ottawa Ontario. He was described as loving, compassionate and outgoing. He held a true love for singing and enjoyed posting videos of songs he’d practiced. He attended A.Y Jackson Secondary School and was active in his school’s Rainbow Club. He was the only openly gay student and because of that, advocated for a safe space where students could talk and collaborate freely.
In Jamie’s early years, he enjoyed Figure Skating and was quite talented at it. He participated in many competitions and received many medals. In grade 7, his peers discovered his hobby of Figure Skating and started to bully him. They thought that Figure Skating was too feminine of a sport for a boy to play. In one instance, they physically harmed him while on the bus. The bullying was so relentless that his friends spoke up on his behalf and told his parents, Allan and Wendy Hubley. His parents removed him from the bus and got him mental health support.
As Jamie entered high school, the bullying continued. He attended a Catholic high school in Kanata but was horribly mistreated for being gay. His parents thought that moving him to a public school would make his experience more positive, so he transferred to a school within the Public Board. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Jamie documented his torments and feelings on his blog.
After months of anti-gay bullying and feeling isolated, Jamie felt hopeless. In October of 2011, at the age of 15, Jamie took his own life as a result of the bullying.
Jamie’s suicide shook the community. Organizations saw a glimpse of the active homophobia present in the Ontario Education System. Movements were made to provide better mental health support for bullied youth and stronger consequences for bullying. Canadian public figures like Rick Mercier shared their thoughts publicly through speech (Ricks Rant- Teen Suicide) while politicians posted videos dedicated to Jamie as a part of the It Gets Better project.
Jamie’s story helped to push the Accepting Schools Act (Bill 13) in 2012. The Act mandated that there were to be clearer and stricter bullying responses in schools. The Accepting Schools Act is still in effect to this day, and mandates that all publicly funded schools in Ontario must allow students to start a GSA if they want one.
The Ontario Human Rights Code
00:00 / 02:56
The Ontario Human Rights Code is a provincial law that gives everybody equal rights and opportunities without discrimination in areas such as employment, housing and services. The Code’s goal is to prevent discrimination and harassment due to factors people can-not change. All other Ontario laws must agree with the Code.
The Code states that one can not be discriminated against based on:
*Age
*Ancestry, Colour of Skin, Race
*Citizenship
*Ethnic origin
*Place of origin
*Creed
*Disability
*Family status
*Marital status (including single status)
*Gender identity
*Gender expression
*Receipt of public assistance (in housing only)
*Record of offences (in employment only)
*Sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding)
*Sexual orientation.
"Services" include:
*stores, restaurants and bars
*hospitals and health services
*schools, universities and colleges
*public places, amenities and utilities such as recreation centres, public washrooms, malls and parks
*services and programs provided by municipal and provincial governments, including social assistance and benefits, public transit and policing
*services provided by insurance companies
*classified ads in a newspaper
Gender-based harassment that goes against the Ontario Human Rights Code can involve:
*Derogatory language toward Trans people and the Gender Diverse community
*Insults, comments that ridicule, humiliate or demean people because of their gender identity or expression
*Behaviour that “polices and or reinforces traditional heterosexual gender norms”
*Refusing to refer to a person by their self-identified name and proper personal pronoun
*Comments or conduct relating to a perception that a person is not conforming with gender-role stereotypes
*Jokes related to a person’s gender identity or expression including those circulated in writing or by email or social media
*Spreading rumours about a person’s gender identity or expression including through the Internet
*“Outing” or threatening to “out” someone as trans
*Intrusive comments, questions or insults about a person’s body, physical characteristics, gender-related medical procedures, clothing, mannerisms, or other forms of gender expression
*Other threats, unwelcome touching, violence and physical assault.
Learn more about the Ontario Human Rights Code Here
Add. Resources
Additional Resources
bottom of page