Students at a St. Albert school have flooded St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud’s office with letters of support for gay-straight alliances (GSAs).
Lorne Akins Grade 8 student Sarah Tebbutt was one of the letter-writers and said they got the idea after talking to their principal around the time students were walking out of class in protest.
“We originally were going to do the walkout, but a friend and I went to Dr. Jackson (the school principal), and we asked if we could do it. And he came up with the idea about doing the letters,” Tebbutt said.
Tebbutt, 14, said the movement started with her group of friends and then joined up with the school’s GSA.
“We don't think it's really fair to take steps backwards and we should just take steps forward instead,” Tebbutt said, adding she was also inspired to show support for her friends in the LGBTQ community.
The junior high student said her and her friends have been following the provincial debate around GSAs closely.
“When we first heard about it, we were really upset and we just want to do something about it,” Tebbutt said.
Tebbutt said the letters felt like a good way to do something about a cause they cared about.
“Make sure that your voice is always heard,” Tebbutt said.
The students were writing to support keeping Bill 24, An Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances, which became a target during the recent provincial election. The bill protected students’ rights to join a GSA without their parents being notified
During the provincial election campaign, the UCP government took aim at the bill, saying they would replace it with Bill 10, the Education Act, which would allow teachers to tell parents if their children joined a GSA.
Last week, Renaud tabled the 60 letters at the provincial legislature and read some of them to her provincial colleagues.
One of the letters expressed concern about students being outed to parents who may not be open-minded or who are homophobic.
Another read: "Telling your parents about your identification/sexual orientation should be something you choose to do on their own time when they're ready. It definitely should not be something someone else gets to say."
A third letter, from a student who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, stated: "It is a danger for us to be outed to our parents. Most people will respond badly and most people are homophobic. GSAs are a safe space and it is where we are heard and welcomed with open arms."
Renaud said the letters were primarily focused on the junior high students’ concerns around GSAs for their friends and themselves.
The MLA said she was completely surprised to receive the handwritten letters from the students.
“The students were really incredibly thoughtful, explaining what was important and what the GSA did for them and their friends,” Renaud said.
The MLA said the letters were really impactful.
“I really wanted to read some of their letters and table them and make sure that there was a way to be heard. So I hope that they realized that. I did read them all and I did hear them,” Renaud said.
The NDP MLA said many of the letters were addressed to Premier Jason Kenney and asked hard questions.
“I think they were saying, ‘We matter. We will be voters. We have a voice. You need to hear us. This is what happens to our friends,’ ” Renaud said, adding that young people are concerned.
“This is the youth leadership ... I'm so hopeful and proud. They’re the future voters and our future leaders.”
