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October • 2021 The power of positive, solution-based journalism.
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Dare to Stand Up, Dare to Care
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No child should ever feel alone, afraid or unwelcome in their school community. And yet, the reality is that so many children do. This is the driving force behind Dare to Care, a program that works to address the pervasive issue of bullying and mental illness that continues to impact children and youth to this day. Created in 1999, Dare to Care equips and mobilizes children and youth with the skills and courage to stand up to bullying so they can thrive in life, learning, and play. Our experiences as children shape the rest of our lives. One of the most important skills that young people learn is practicing self-care and building up their self-esteem—no small feat in a world where political, environmental, and financial unrest are all too familiar and childhood mental illness is at an all-time high. Therein lies the importance of a program like Dare to Care, developed through the culmination of best practices in bully prevention and trau-
unsure how to help protect their children. Others may not know if their children are victims, bystanders, or even perpetrators of harmful behaviours. As the shape of bullying ma-informed education to give changes, so do the ways we comyoung people a meaningful and bat it. This summer, Dare to Care helpful way to combat bullying facilitators added a new module through discipline with dignity about discrimination and racism and community building. which, like other Dare to Care “We need to know how to modules, can be implemented deal with inappropriate beat home (for virtual learners) or haviour before it escalates and within the classroom. becomes harmful,” says Dare to Dare to Care is a national Care creator Lisa Dixon-Wells. leader in bully prevention, receiving numerous awards for BULLYING IN A building stronger Canadian CHANGING WORLD Dare to Care understands that nars available for Grades 7-9). communities and their leaderAfter serving over 1,000,000 stu- the only way to evoke systemic 2 Three education modules ship in bully prevention. dents, parents, and educators over change in bully prevention is to for parents with students in the past 21 years, Dare to Care include ALL stakeholders within kindergarten to Grade 12. Every child has the right to feel shifted its in-person workshops to the school community, including 3 Three professional learning safe, respected, and included in an interactive online program for parents. Dare to Care has created modules for teachers, suptheir school community. school communities—becoming three online programs that provide port staff and administration. the only Bully Prevention program students, parents, and school staff The parent and professional For more information and to acthat provides online programming with the opportunities to learn and learning modules for school cess the K-6 learning modules, the for the entire school community. develop the common language and staff also includes a resource parent modules, and the school Online learning will become skills needed to support children. portal with posters, FAQ’s, staff modules, please visit daretoa permanent part of educational handouts and much more. care.ca/virtual-learning-program institutes long after the wrath of THE THREE COVID-19, and never before ONLINE FLAGSHIP A COMMUNITY has it been more critical to cre- PROGRAMS ARE: PROBLEM, A ate and maintain safe, caring, 1 Fourteen grade-appropriate COMMUNITY SOLUTION and inclusive environments for learning modules for kinder- Although parents are aware that our children and youth. garten to Grade 6 (live webi- bullying is a problem, some are
artists like Wojnarovicz had to fight while also presenting the imagery in a way that offered a hopeful message. Tonight, we’re celebrating the resilience, the love, and the joy of the community while honouring a crucial American voice that was taken from us too soon. “To mark the collaboration, Loewe has made a donation to Visual AIDS, an organization Wojnarowicz supported, that continues to promote AIDS awareness and education (sic).” Levy has been a strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, speaking up against adversity on social media. Recognized for his activism, Levy was awarded the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award in in September 2019 and the GLAAD Award for promoting LGBTQIA+ acceptance in media. In Schitt’s Creek, Levy’s character, David Rose, was the first openly pansexual character depicted on television. At the 2019 GLAAD event, Levy said: “When I found my-
self in a position to tell stories on a global scale, I seized the opportunity to make a television show that might, in its own way, offer some support, encouragement and love to those who might not have it in their homes or in their schools or in their day to day lives.” The Canadian-born actor has discussed a variety of issues in interviews and on social media—last fall, Levy took
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displays fashion artifacts. Sharing the meaning behind Dan Levy celebrated queer love the bold look, Dan explained and visibility with his Met Gala on Instagram: “A big heartfelt ensemble at the 2021 fashion thank you to @cartier for so generously welcoming and fundraiser, paying homage to the late LGBTQIA+ activist accessorizing me tonight. What I’ve so long admired about the David Wojnarovicz. The ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star Costume Institute is its comwore a Loewe costume depictmitment to educate and inspire people through fashion. ing two men kissing, inspired “I was fortunate enough to by Wojnarovicz’s work. The outfit used an image from the also get to work with @jonathan.anderson and the incredilate artist’s work as a way to celebrate LGBTQIA+ people. ble team of designers and craftspeople at @loewe on a look that Wojnarowicz was a prominent meant something to all of us. artist and activist for AIDS and LGBTQIA+ rights in New With support from the estate York, who unfortunately passed of American multimedia artist away in 1992 at the age of 37 and LGBTQIA+ activist David Wojnarovicz (1954-1992), after a battle with AIDS. The 38-year-old actor, who Jonathan and the design team was accessorized by Cartier, also built upon an image of two revealed that Loewe donated to men kissing from Wojnarovicz’s the charity Visual AIDS. work, F*** You F-t F*****, named after a homophobic carThe Met Gala, a fundraistoon the artist had come across. er in itself, raises money for But rather than feed on the the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The message of hate, we wanted to Institute is an exhibit in the celebrate queer love and visibilmuseum that preserves and ity—acknowledging how hard ALLIE MURRAY
© HAHN LIONEL/ABACA
Dan Levy Shares Support Through Fashion, Fundraising, and Other F-Words
to social media to encourage Canadians to learn more about Indigenous people, sharing that he enrolled in the University of Alberta’s Native Studies program. Levy also shared that for every donation made to the university, he would match dollar for dollar up to $25,000. For his birthday this year, he and his fans raised funds for the university, raising over $50,000. (Source: Reuters) ADVERTORIAL
Protecting the Future of Trans Youth survival. During a time when our safety mandates that individuals stay home, trans youth experiencing homeless were in an unwarranted position. ‘A Way Home Canada’ illustrates that 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQI2S and trans youth are classified as the most vulnerable adolescent population. The unique challenges faced by trans youth means that although their needs intersect, they also differ from other members of the LGBTQI2S community. Trans youth face institutional erasure, homophobic and transphobic violence, and discrimination, placing their identities at the fringe of society. Trans youth also experience housing and health-care discrimination, resulting from a lack of legal protection, difficulties with legal identification documents, and lack of healthcare coverage. Friends of Ruby’s Executive Director, Carol Osler states, “we know there is an urgent need to support trans youth within our communities. The needs of trans youth are more
diverse, layered, and nuanced—each experience is unique to the individual. There is no one size fits all. As an organization dedicated to the well being of LGBTQI2S youth, we want to be a part of the solution.” Friends of Ruby believes that every youth deserves a safe space, uninterrupted living, and access to sustainable mental health and social services. Our services and programs are led and facilitated by highly skilled LGBTQI2S individuals who reflect the diversity of the youth. They are informed by LGBTQI2S youth across the spectrum, grounded in evidence, and supported by research. Trans-focused support includes resources about gender identity and gender-affirming care, transition-related goals, and referrals to trans-inclusive doctors and clinics. We also provide a trans ID clinic, supporting the process of applications and legal documents. Overall, connecting trans youth to community, support, and advocacy. The services Friends of Ruby offer only scratch the surface of the needs that exist. To pro-
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When COVID-19 restrictions made their way to Toronto, the lives of many were put at a standstill. As the pandemic began to challenge access to essential needs and services, we observed a mosaic of disparities. For LGBTQI2S communities, the impact on quality of life is significantly higher than the national average. Egale Canada’s COVID-19 Impact Report states 47 percent of members of LGBTQI2S communities have identified experiencing negative impacts on their mental health compared to 27 percent at the national average. LGBTQI2S communities have been affected by the pandemic in unique ways, specifically transgender youth. Peer support and community are essential to trans youth; the consequences of the pandemic blocked access to networks, services, and support that are vital to their well-being. Research shows that transgender youth are often alienated from their family of origin, relying on local services including affirming organizations and peers for
tect the future of trans youth, action is needed toward challenging systemic violence, to empower trans youth to feel seen, heard, and valued. We can collectively work toward
a reality where all LGBTQI2S youth are validated, involved, and empowered to lead their lives, where they feel welcomed, and are given an opportunity to succeed.
Together we can
Invest in the lives of trans youth. Donate at friendsofruby.ca
