Rally in support of LGBTQ rights in P.E.I. schools draws hundreds
CBC
Hundreds of people gathered in front of the P.E.I. Legislature Friday in support of the LGBTQ community on the Island.
The rally followed a recent flyer campaign asking parents to protest the province's gender identity guidelines for schools.
At the rally, transgender and non-binary Islanders shared stories about their own struggles growing up — and the need for protecting students' ability to express their gender identities.
Anastasia Preston, a trans community outreach coordinator at PEERS Alliance, said the rally gave her joy.
Preston went through the P.E.I. school system. She said she had a very different experience to what students today are going through.
"The idea of being trans wasn't something that we had access to," Preston said.
"I always felt like I was carrying this secret that I could never share with anyone, right? That I would lose my family. That I would lose my friends. And that was by design.
"Had I had the supports that we have today, I probably would have come out earlier in my life. I didn't come out until I was 28, and I've had to fight through a sea of dysphoria that was caused by having transition at such a late age."
The P.E.I. government rolled out guidelines in schools more than a year ago aimed at ensuring student's gender identities and sexual orientations are respected.
In recent months, there's been pushback from some parents.
Just this week, flyers started showing up in mailboxes and on windshields, pushing parents to keep their kids home this Friday in protest of the guidelines, and what the flyer calls the "sexualization of children."
"This is the kind of hate that exists on this Island. So it's really hard to hear," said Hannah Gehrels, who attended the rally. "And that's why it's really get to be here today and see there's so much support for trans, non-binary kids, and also us as grown-up individuals."
Gehrels said it was really important to show support for trans and nonbinary gender kids.
"That's really what pride is about. Pride is about being a welcoming movement for kids who are coming out, for kids to know that is a safe place for them to be exactly who they are."
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