CAMPBELL RIVER, BC – A pride flag hangs bright at Carihi High’s entrance.
On Thursday morning, students from the school’s LGBT2 group, Social Justice, and Junior Leadership classes gathered at the school entrance to stand by the colour and celebrate it.
Many were holding signs, and others were there to show support for their friends. The flag raising and the students were organized by Barbara Preston and Sandra Weames.
Preston is Carihi High’s school counsellor, as well as a co-sponsor of the LGBT2 group. Sandra Weames is the education director for the North Island Pride Society.
According to Weames, Thursday’s event was supported by the Vancouver Pride Society to honour the 50th year since homosexuality was decriminalized in Canada. Weames said the pride flag was also raised in 50 other communities to celebrate.
Around 20 or so students were at the event, and both Preston and Weames were happy with the turn out.
“That’s ok, that means everybody is comfortable at Carihi High. Last year, we painted the stairs (with pride colours), we have a question box in the library, we have a community sponsor who helps us out from CR Pride,” Preston said.
“It’s inspiring, and I really feel that it shows, like Sandra (Weames) said in her speech: looking forward, these are the people of the future who are accepting, who are allies.”
“I think that’s a sign that youth are comfortable with who they are, and that to me is really reassuring,” she added.
Emily Henderson is the president of Carihi High’s LGBT2 group. She said today’s flag-raising made her feel happy.
“It’s really important that everybody at Carihi High knows that they have a place, which is what we do at the LGBT2 group: making sure that even if you’re not popular or you’re not cis or you’re not straight, you have somewhere to go,” Henderson said.
She said she was nervous about the flag-raising, but that it was good to see her classmates come out in support of them. Henderson said she was also happy knowing that she and the LGBT2 group can support them in return.
“The youth are feeling confident that they’re not (going to be) bullied, that they can feel safe in the halls, and that’s really important,” Weames said.
“We don’t want students to feel unsafe or people to feel unsafe in Campbell River at all.”
