Tuesday 6 March 2012

Canada celebrates Pink Shirt Day and its Anti-bullying message

Last Wednesday, Pink Shirt Day was celebrated across Canada. The main aim of the program is to raise awareness of and eliminate bullying in schools and throughout society. Focusing on events within school boards, the program in British Columbia has been endorsed by provincial and municipal governments. Pink t-shirts are available for sale and there is a series of websites and social media pages dedicated to the event. Support for Pink Shirt Day is widespread as it delivers a strong message that students, along with the rest of us, should stand up to bullies and be free to express themselves without fear of reprisal or judgment. This is, after all, a basic human right as guaranteed in our constitution.

As part of preparations for Pink Shirt Day, a YouTube video was compiled by teachers from several of Vancouver’s school boards. Students were filmed performing a choreographed dance routine to Lady Gaga’s hit song “Born This Way”. Simply emphasizing that we are all individuals and deserve respect regardless of how different we may be, the song is an inspiration to millions. It has become an anthem and a powerful expression of the artist’s individuality and commitment to being a positive role model. Lady Gaga, having been bullied and tormented herself for being different, is living proof that believing in oneself in the face of opposition enables us to rise above the hatred of others. I can think of no better lesson that can we offer to youth who face challenges of growing up in a society that often emphasizes differences without embracing them.

An extremely vocal group of parents in Burnaby (a part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District) wrote a letter to the Premier of BC asking that the video not be made and posted online. They cited a long list of reasons, including Lady Gaga’s explicit videos, her “sex sells worldview”, and how the project negatively impacts “free exchange of ideas and obesity resulting from excessive screen time”. Their letter asked for censuring of school personnel involved in the project. These are the same people who, last year, tried to halt the school district’s creation of an antihomophobia policy.

Seriously, these parents have got to get their heads out from between their thighs. I believe that many parents are not giving the credit that their children deserve. They are being bombarded by advertisements and media from all sides and are growing up in a sensory rich world. Luckily, human minds start out accepting the different people around them and discrimination is a learned behaviour. If these particular parents would take a moment and see the simple lesson that translates from all of this; teaching acceptance of all people, no matter who they are or where they come from. Lady Gaga’s videos are obviously too artistic and interesting for these parents to grasp. I suggest they ask their children what they see in the videos.

Our constantly changing society is in dire need of projects to spread the message of acceptance and respect. Bullying in schools takes many forms, and it’s been proven that queer children are more likely to be targeted and to commit suicide as a result of these actions. It’s our responsibility to ensure that youth are aware of the difficulties they may face while growing up and that there is a community to support them. I can only imagine how differently my life would have been had there been programs like Pink Shirt Day and inclusive choreographed dance routines where I would have been encouraged to be myself. Perhaps, the pair of pink shorts that I often wore in high school, which I insisted were fuchsia, would have finally found a meaningful use.

Support Pink Shirt Day next February!

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