A Canadian school board is making progressive steps to accommodate for each unique student by having teachers participate in extensive inclusiveness training.
The Canadian Elementary Teachers Federation (ETFO) of Ontario hosted a LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP inclusiveness training session on June 6.
Conducted for the Durham ETFO Executive, Stewards and other interested folks, the session included a presentation from Dr Barb Perry of UOIT & Durham PFLAG
The acronym stands for Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Demisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Twospirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Asexual, Allies, Pansexual and Polyamorous.
The Canadian Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario hosted a LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP inclusiveness training on June 6
And while terms like Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Allies, Transgender, Transexual and Questioning may be familiar to the common person, others may seem perplexing.
A person who identifies as Genderqueer or Nonbinary does not feel like terms such as ‘male’ or ‘female’ adequately designate how they identify or choose to present themselves.
Aexuality.org defines a Demisexual as someone who does not experience sexual attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with someone.
Accounting for Native Peoples, the training also is inclusive of those who identify as Two-Spirit or those who possess both masculine and feminine spirits.
Someone who is intersex has been born in the middle of the spectrum for both male and female. An intersex person may be born with genital ambiguity.
Asexuality accounts for those who do not feel any sexual feeling or desire at all.
Conducted for the Durham ETFO Executive, stewards and other folks, the session included a presentation from Dr Barb Perry of UOIT & Durham PFLAG. School children are taught inclusiveness in elementary school (pictured) (stock)
Pansexual is the open sexuality of another person no matter their sex or gender identify.
And someone who is Polyamorous seeks intimate relationships with more than one partner.
The sessions goal was ‘to become more familiar with current language, sensitive to current issues, and to share best practices in supporting our LGGBDITTTIQQAAPP peers and students.’
According to the flier, fewer than one per cent of ETFO members were open with their identities, even though half of the public ‘secretly identities as LGBT to some extent.
‘If we want students to succeed, if we want to educe staff anxiety and stress, we need to create a much more welcoming and accepting environment,’ the flier added.