Zero
tolerance
for
bullying?
EDUCATION
Mayencourt
says
government-sponsored
safe
schools
bill
coming
Natasha
Barsotti
Xtra
West
BC's
provincial
government
is
poised
to
introduce
a
Safe
Schools
Act
of
its
own,
an
excited
Lome
Mayencourt
told
Xtra
West
following
the
government's
Feb
13
throne
speech.
But
while
the
Vancouver-Burrard
MLA
says
he's
"really
excited
about
that,"
he's
unable
to
confirm
whether
anti-discrimination
policies
specifically
addressing
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity
will
be
part
of
a
government-piloted
version
of
the
bill.
He
insists,
however,
that
"it's
significant,
it
was
mentioned
in
the
throne
speech,
which
is
a
pretty
public
way
of
saying
that
the
government
recognizes
this
is
a
serious
problem."
A
reading
of
the
throne
speech
reveals
that
the
government
plans
to
introduce
new
legislation
to
"broaden
the
mandate
of
school
boards."
It
also
refers
to
amendments
requiring
all
school
boards
to
establish
codes
of
conduct
that
"meet
provincially
set
standards
and
that
institute
zero
tolerance
of
bullying
in
BC's
schools."
But
the
speech
does
not
spell
out
which
provincially
set
standards
it's
referring
to,
nor
whether
they
will
specifically
prohibit
discrimination
on
the
basis
of
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity.
Queer
education
activist
Jane
Bouey
says
she
does
not
see
anything
in
the
throne
speech
that
covers
the
Safe
Schools
Act
as
she
understands
it.
But,
she
says,
if
Mayencourt's
optimism
about
government
involvement
is
justified,
she
hopes
the
final
bill
reflects
the
language
he
adopted
in
his
own
bill.
"I
would
welcome
it,
but
I
have
no
reason
to
assume
that
from
what
has
been
said,"
says
Bouey.
"What
I
liked
in
the
previous
bill
was
that
it
was
more
comprehensive
than
earlier
versions.
It
talked
about
sexual
orientation
and
gender
identity,
and
the
perception
of
these,"
she
notes.
Anti-homophobia
consultant
Glen
Hansman
agrees,
adding
there's
"no
real
point"
to
government
legislation
if
it
does
not
specificallytarget
harassment
and
discrimination
on
the
basis
of
all
the
protected
grounds
covered
by
the
BC
Human
Rights
Code,
including
protection
for
transgender
and
transsexual
members
of
school
communities.
Generic
anti-bullying
policies
will
be
ineffective,
he
suggests,
because
homophobia
and
transphobia
will
continue
to
be
ignored.
"The
Safe
Schools
Task
Force
was
long
ago,"
he
says,
"and
a
comprehensive,
inclusive
safe
schools
policy
from
the
ministry
that
will
make
school
districts
address
sexism,
racism,
ableism,
transphobia
and
homophobia
is
far
beyond
overdue."
11
College
of
New
Caledonia
-
Ion