SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The city's two main school districts voted in opposite ways on having a discussion about LGTBQ (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer) inclusion during a school board association meeting in Alberta last month.

Yellowknife Education District No. 1 trustee Rajiv Rawat, left of trustee Allan Short, said representatives for the public district voted to approve the addition of an LGBTQ-related motion to the agenda for the Alberta School Board Association annual meeting in November meeting because trustees felt it was a meaningful issue worth discussing. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo

Yellowknife Education District No.1 (Yk1) and Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS) - which both belong to the Alberta School Board Association - voted 'yes' and 'no' respectively at the association's AGM in November.

Trustee Rajiv Rawat was part of the Yk1 delegation and told Yellowknifer the agenda item - which was a discussion on incorporating LGBTQ-specific policies into schools - was a late addition.

"We voted 'yes' because it's a meaningful issue," said Rawat. "And we wanted to be mindful of that."

The motion failed, with 62 per cent in favour - four points below the necessary 66 per cent that would be required to approve a late agenda change.

Yellowknifer reached out to the Catholic schools representatives the paper learned were at the conference but none provided comment.

Chairperson Simon Taylor - who didn't attend the event - responded on their behalf.

Taylor said trustees voted against adding the motion because it's redundant policy, adding those who voted against it cited the fact that it was added late to the agenda and the association already has those powers.

"(The Alberta School Board Association) already has that mandate," said Taylor, referring to the power to assist in policy development for LGBTQ inclusion.

A discussion worth having Rawat said Yk1's delegation decided it was worth having a discussion anyway.

"We thought there was no problem with having it discussed," he said.

The motion requested specific policy recommendations boards could follow to make all students and staff feel welcome, so he doesn't feel like the conversation would have been redundant.

"It's a way to affirm this is what all boards are moving toward and should be doing," said Rawat.

Taylor and Rawat agree both Alberta and the NWT have clear policies in support of LGBTBQ students.

"The government has very clear mandates and certainly from our board's perspective, we are completely intolerant of intolerance," said Taylor. "The very idea that our school district would in any way countenance intolerance to any student for any reason, particularly the LGBTQ students because of the fact that statistically they're more likely to be targeted than others, is abhorrent to our entire board.

We're very clear with our administration and administration in turn has been very proactive in ensuring those students are fully supported and addressed."

Claudia Parker, YCS superintendent, said the district's acceptance of LGBTQ students is outlined in its anti-bullying policy and added staff deal with these students' needs on a case-by-case basis.

"Every student it's different," she said.

There is no YCS policy in place related to LGBTQ staff, said Parker.

St. Pat's LIFE Group

An administration-run LGBTQ support group started up at St. Patrick High School this year called St. Pat's LIFE (Lived Inclusion For Everyone) Group.

Rawat said territorial districts that are members of the Alberta association take cues from Alberta's policies. He said the vote doesn't have a direct impact on NWT policies but when the legislative assembly selects its cabinet - and an education minister is named - the minister will be looking to Alberta for examples in setting territorial policies and goals.

A conversation about LGBTQ inclusion might influence the future minister to advance similar conversations in the NWT, said Rawat.

Spokesperson Jacqueline McKinnon, with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, told Yellowknifer a new health curriculum in the works "will include the exploration of what it means to have an inclusive environment for LGBTQ students and staff.

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