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On surviving anti-gay bullying

March 10th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Jordan Rada and Frank Figueroa survived anti-gay bullying in school and now speak out to help others

Pink Shirt Day was recently observed at schools in Nanaimo and across Canada. The now-annual event was inspired by Nova Scotia high school students David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenaged friends, who in 2007 organized a high-school protest in support of a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied—for wearing pink to school. They took a stand against bullying by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school.

Homophobia in schools is associated with bullying behaviours. A Canadian study found that 37% of gay and lesbian youngsters felt like outsiders at their schools and that a quarter of gay and lesbian youths in Canada have attempted suicide at least once.  [Source: Alliance busts gay stereotypes, Nanaimo Daily News] (more…)

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AVI 25 years and counting

December 2nd, 2010 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on AVI 25 years and counting)

Vancouver Island’s regional AIDS organization continues its work amid change and challenge

On September 17, 1985, five men sat around a kitchen table and decided it was time to meet the challenge posed by the AIDS epidemic on Vancouver Island. That evening saw the birth of AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI), with the founders forming the first board of directors. Now, 25 years later, AVI serves the communities of Greater Victoria, Nanaimo, the Comox Valley, and Campbell River, and also offers services in the Port Hardy area. (more…)

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Call for transgender rights

November 18th, 2010 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Call for transgender rights)

Vancouver throws its support behind a federal bill that would protect transgendered Canadians

Vancouver city councillor Ellen Woodsworth introduced a motion at the Tuesday November 16th Vancouver city council meeting, asking that the City of Vancouver support Bill C-389 [opens to PDF], a private members bill making its way through the Canadian parliament. The motion passed unanimously.

Bill C-389 proposes amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to include protections for gender identity and gender expression. It was originally introduced by Bill Siksay, the NDP member of parliament for Burnaby-Douglas, and on November 3rd, 2010 the Bill was returned without amendment by the House Committee on Justice and Human Rights for report and third reading in Parliament. (more…)

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Hatred, homophobia, and bullying

October 7th, 2010 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Hatred, homophobia, and bullying)

Tragedy at Rutgers University turns attention to privacy, homophobia, bullying issues

The death by suicide last week of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi—which occurred after the online posting of private information—has been linked to several problems, including the bullying of queer youth in school and university settings. Tyler Clementi’s death was the fourth highly-publicized death by suicide among gay teens in the U.S. over a four-week period.

The deaths come amid the release of research showing that [opens to PDF] American LGBT students were significantly more likely to experience harassment when compared with their heterosexual counterparts and were seven times more likely to indicate the harassment was based on their sexual identity. (more…)

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2010: Not just surviving, but shining

May 20th, 2010 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on 2010: Not just surviving, but shining)

Gay and queer men to look at health, wellness in Nanaimo

A three-day-long gathering in Nanaimo on May 28-30 is designed for gay and queer men who want to do more than “just survive.” SHINE will bring together men for workshops, social events, hikes, talking and socializing.

The event is an initiative of AIDS Vancouver Island and is led by Liam “Captain” Snowdon, an outreach worker with AVI. It begins on Friday May 28 with a reception. More information can be found at eventbrite.com. (more…)

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Anti-homophobia versus bullying

May 20th, 2010 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Anti-homophobia versus bullying)

Schools appear to be taking up the leadership challenge

In 2009, an adolescent health survey revealed that a quarter of gay and lesbian youths in Canada have attempted suicide at least once. And a total of 37% of gay and lesbian youngsters felt like outsiders at their schools. [Source: Alliance busts gay stereotypes, Nanaimo Daily News]

Homophobia in schools is also associated with bullying behaviours. (more…)

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