- by Laura Cameron and Skye Cormier

Local community members came together on Thursday, November 28th at the Milk Maid to share their concerns about Policy Resolution R4, which enables the PC government to debate the teaching of gender identity theory in schools. A serious topic for sure but there was a sense of warmth and connection in the cozy space. While many brought their computers there was the opportunity to use good old-fashioned protest tools: button making and paper and pens for letter writing.

In reaction to these proposed changes Make It Wright and Youth Elevating Youth (YEY) joined forces to facilitate a letter writing campaign so that those interested in sharing their worries with local MPP Bill Walker could put their thoughts on paper. The workshop was led by researcher and activist Natalie Kivell, who has a background in social movement work, social transformation, and Community Psychology, along with Make it Wright member Anne-Marie Hay, who has a background in social policy and public administration.

Natalie guided the diverse group, which included concerned parents and students, through a brainstorming session where participants were asked to reflect on which aspects of the current sex-ed curriculum and proposed changes hit them the hardest and grouped them together by topic. Some concerns brought up were around consent, safety, the erasure of identities and different kinds of families. Many voiced their dissatisfaction over Ford’s campaign promise to revert the sex-ed curriculum to what was taught in 1998 when topics such as consent, same-sex marriage, online bullying, and sexting were not addressed.

“It’s incredibly frustrating to me that the amazing progress that has been made in the sex-ed curriculum can be erased by the current government. I was so happy to hear that consent and gender identity, in particular, were being taught and I thought that it was the best way to encourage understanding and safety. I still see and hear lot of prejudice and misinformation about the LGTBQ+ community and in the trans community, especially, that needs to be addressed now. I want everyone to feel safe and welcome in public spaces.” says YEY collective member Laura Cameron

Anne-Marie shared an advocacy letter template and a letter she wrote as a starting point but stressed the importance of writing from lived experience. She also told the group that letter writing can be an effective way to protest and could attest to this through her experience working in a government position.

The group was also prompted to brainstorm ways to move forward as activists and to reflect on individual strengths. It was clear that personal experience, research, and group sharing were excellent tools for writing an advocacy letter. Coming together to voice concerns is a powerful exercise.

Make It Wright is a “For Youth By Youth”’ organization that aims to create a queer positive community for youth in Grey Bruce. They emphasize the importance of social support and inclusion as a factor for health and wellness, and this drives them to create more inclusive spaces in their community.

Youth Elevating Youth is a collective intended to create safe(r) spaces where youth voices are valued and where their artistic freedom is welcomed. YEY was founded by a group of young adults to create inclusive local artistic opportunities, cultivate mentorship, and amplify youth perspectives in the community.

If you’re interested in support for writing your own letter or in joining future advocacy projects you can email either:

Youth Elevating Youth: [email protected] or Make it Wright: [email protected]