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Above that though , when my classmates engaged in that week ' s content in homophobic and transphobic ways — she validated and affirmed my frustration and disappointment , and made sure that I was accommodated and able to express this frustration with my colleagues in a supportive environment .
All that being said , the most active form of solidarity that I ' ve seen throughout my education is when educators are willing to be queer alongside me — whether that ' s publicly as openly queer educators , or after they trust me , finding small ways to share with me that they ' re queer , too . I think that these types of mentorships , between queer educators and queer students , is what really builds supportive education spaces . That ' s why schools and universities need to actively hire queer and trans faculty and staff .
Kyla : My graduate studies at U of R deepened my understanding of gender and sexual diversity from an academic focus . My role as a coordinator in school divisions has opened the door for my advocacy work .
James : I moved from Saskatoon to Regina as a newly minted and openly gay man in 1995 and the Faculty of Education and the University of Regina was welcoming , supportive , and ready to move with the times . In particular , I have former colleagues Dr . Meredith Cherland and Dr . Liz Cooper to thank for such a climate . They pushed me to go farther than I might have on my own .
j wallace skelton : In Grade 5 , when people thought I was a girl , I was cast in a skit for the Christmas concert as a mouse . My friend Heath was cast as Santa . I wanted to be Santa and wear a beard , but the teacher was clear that because Heath was taller he should be Santa , and I , the shorter person , should be the mouse . Heath and I secretly switched the night of the performance . Peers and friends have often supported me through acts of allyship even when the official system did not .
Fifteen years ago , I was part of an integrated equity team for the Halton District School Board . One of my colleagues was a Muslim woman who wore a hijab . She and I would often lead trainings for staff teams together — me the queer trans person , her the hijabi-wearing married woman . Teachers attending the trainings would look back and forth between us , and sometimes ask if we hated each other . Suzanne Muir absolutely had my back at all times . I had hers . Our ability to work together and support each other was itself a powerful training tool .