OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Campaigns
Calgary Mom Launches Anti-Homophobia Campaign
A Calgary mom has launched a new anti-homophobia campaign that will be gracing various public transit vessels in the city starting this September.
The campaign was originally conceived after the mother, who wishes to be identified only as Gail, became fed up with the harassment her teenage daughter has had to endure. Having worked on the campaign since May with help from Calgary Outlink, Gail said she thinks the message will pay off. “Calgary isn’t always known to be the most accepting city,” she told the media. “But there is this section of beautiful people that are coming up; we have to honour that part of our society.”
Personally, I think this is a wonderful little example about how one person, no matter where you may find yourself, can help make a difference. Transit ads might not instantly rid the world of homophobia, and they might not open up closed minds on the spot, but they will add an extra dose of daily visibility. Gay youth will get a quick reminder that they aren’t alone, and people whose minds are still clouded with homophobic sentiment will find themselves with another challenge.
Plus it’s something nicer to look at in the mornings than mobile phone ads. And everyone can appreciate that.
- Mom takes action on homophobia [Metro Calgary]
Sea of Pink Sweeps The Nation
There was a story back in September about a grade 9 kid who was bullied and called homophobic names for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school.
The next day, two of his classmates campaigned online and arrived with dozens of pink shirts, turning the school into a “sea of pink.”
Heartwarmingly enough, the campaign seems to have spread! Hundreds of students at Balfour Collegiate in Regina Saskatchewan donned their pinkest garments this week in protest of homophobia and bullying. Micheil Rothwell, a grade 10 student, said the event was sorely needed:
This is really important today because everywhere people think it is OK to make homophobic remarks. They think it is OK to say, “That’s gay.” But we are here today saying that it is not OK. We are not going to tolerate it anymore.
It’s only been 10 years since I graduated from high school, and I’m impressed by how much attitudes have changed. Mind you, I went through the Catholic system, which is a tad behind the times; there, books are still considered dangerous.
- Regina school goes pretty in pink [The StarPhoenix]
Tidbits From The (Pink) Road
Well, I’m on the road—gone to Atlanta, U.S.A. for a lovely few days of unbearable boredom, followed by a trip out west to see family before flights get expensive.
Hey! Let’s do the news roundup thing!
Québec’s “gay baby” campaign, featuring a picture of a newborn with a “homosexual” hospital armband, has been imported to Europe. While the campaign was praised in Canada, LGBT groups in Italy have criticized it for correlating homosexuality with disease. Conservative groups in Italy have also criticized the ad, presumably for, oh, not condemning gays to the sulfurous caverns of purgatory.
Canadian Blood Services met with students at the University of Western Ontario to clarify their policy to permanently bar gay male blood donors. Apparently, instead of “traditional” blood, gay men feature a different, incompatible circulatory fluid: homo-bismol.
A special Remembrance Day wreath honouring Canada’s gay veterans was laid during Ottawa’s ceremonies on Sunday. Instead of poppies, the wreath featured pink carnations. Next for the wreath-laying organization: trademark the carnation image and legally threaten anyone else who tries to honour war dead with the flower.
Until Friday, kids!
More Updates From The (Pink) Road
Still on the road, kids! But here are some stories and updates that caught my eye:
Two high school students in Nova Scotia have turned their school into a sea of pink in support of a first-year student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Hmm… I wonder if they’ll do anything about Nova Scotia’s other bully problem.
Speaking of Nova Scotia, a lesbian woman is suing the province for refusing to recognize her parental status of her partner’s newborn. Jamie O’Neill was told that she must adopt her son, born through invitro infertilization, because only one woman can be listed on the birth certificate. Luckily, after legal threat, the province seems to have re-considered.
Zesty’s, the Vancouver comedy club in which a comedian exploded into an anti-lesbian tirade, has been renamed. While owners say the name change has been underway for some time, it’s not a bad strategy! Michael Richards should take note.
Finally, an Australian lesbian couple is suing their fertilization clinic after they gave birth to twins instead of just a single child. Let that be a lesson to doctors: Don’t do your job too well!
Until Wednesday, kids!
