A group that advocates for young people regardless of gender or sexuality on the Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton says attitudes have evolved since a handful of high school students attended its first meeting three years ago.
“We’ve come a long way from the beginning,” said Ron Martin, a teacher at Allison Bernard Memorial High School and group co-chair.
“When I first started working out here some eight years plus, there was a lot of stereotypes. A lot of stuff that needed to be worked on.”
Today, there are between 25 and 30 members of the school’s Gender Sexuality Alliance. The group hosted an Amazing Race-style event Thursday for 200 students that included more than a dozen challenges, many with a focus on Mi’kmaq language and culture.
‘I was never judged’
Alyssia Christmas and Trinity Bastos-Denny, members of their school’s Gender Sexuality Alliance, say they’ve been respected. (Holly Conners/CBC)
Grade 10 student Alyssia Christmas, who identifies as pansexual, said she found a welcoming environment in the alliance. She considers Thursday’s event as a way to share that pride with the wider school community.
“Our first meeting, I felt really loved,” said Christmas. “I was never judged in the group. And I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Trinity Bastos-Denny hopes it will help her fellow students to be more accepting of their LGBT peers. The Grade 11 student said her experience growing up in Eskasoni shows that’s already happening.
“I’ve experienced no challenges at all, because everyone here is so [respectful] and so kind, minus the occasional jerks here and there,” she said.
Changing hearts, minds
Students took part in challenges focusing on Mi’kmaq language and culture.
Madonna Doucette of the Ally Centre of Cape Breton said the Eskasoni Gender Sexuality Alliance has become one of the most active and productive of all similar organizations in Cape Breton. The alliance was also the first of its kind on a First Nations community on the island.
“I know that when the Eskasoni community celebrated Pride in November, that it was the first First Nation community in Atlantic Canada to openly, as a community, celebrate Pride,” said Doucette.
“Young people make more of a difference than they realize … When they go home and they talk about these things openly, it does change the hearts and minds of their parents and grandparents.”
She’d like to see the Eskasoni students take their Amazing Race event to schools throughout the island.
Principal remembers prejudice
A smudging ceremony launched a day of Gender Sexuality Alliance activities at the Eskasoni high school Thursday. (Holly Conners)
When the alliance first formed, there were concerns the community would not be supportive, said principal Newell Johnson.
But that’s changing.
“I think we’ve made leaps and bounds. Because living in a First Nations community — the effects of residential school, the effects of centralization, and all these negative things that have happened in our history — may have influenced some of the perceptions of our elders within our community,” said Johnson.
“But these events and activities that are happening now is allowing them to see and to be more accepting, and to be able to honour and accept our students and our community members for who they are.”