Surrey Campus Screens Out in Schools

Film spotlights growing up as a part of the LGBTQ community

For most youth, school is about fitting in. Kids can be cruel, and any student considered abnormal by their peers may face bullying and rejection. Unfortunately, identifying as anything but cisgendered and heterosexual is sometimes wrongfully considered an abnormality in educational settings, and the effects of sexuality and gender-based discrimination are vast and concerning.

Out in Schools realizes this issue as a primary concern for the LGBTQ community. In response, they are striving to improve the conditions by bringing “fresh and relevant films into classrooms.” Their main mission is to, “compel youth to step into the challenges and the triumphs of LGBTQ youth,” and according to the organization’s website, it works. It is written that after a presentation, students “walk out with a fresh perspective and commitment to step up to stop bullying.”

Kwantlen’s Surrey Campus hosted a screening of some of these films on March 2. The event was supported by the Kwantlen Student Association and Pride Kwantlen but organized by Tanya Boboricken, the Kwantlen Faculty Association’s LGBTQ representative.

“Often times, the queer community is invisible, meaning people don’t think about [others] who don’t fit into the heterosexual norm,” she says, on why she felt compelled to work with Out in Schools. “I think we need to broaden what is acceptable and allow people to express themselves and love who they wish.”

Queer Representative with Kwantlen Pride, R Jey, also commented on the importance of Out in Schools’ visit.

“The screening is important because there are queer and trans students who feel that there are no other options at KPU than being closeted. [At the screening], they can share ideas about what is working and not working at KPU,” he says. “If there was something like this when I first started coming to KPU in 2012, I think I would have been more out on campus than I was.”

On the night of the event, there was food, drink, and discussion. In fact, the majority of the presentation was led by three queer-identified representatives from Out in Schools: Brandon, Jen, and Andy. Standing at the front of the room around a projection screen, they defined key terms in the LGBTQ community and asked for audience participation on subjects relevant to gender, sexuality, and race. A pleasantly wide variety of lesser-known topics were discussed, such as intersexuality, intersectionality, representations and stereotypes of minorities in the media, and 2-spirit folks.

As promised, three short videos were also screened. The first, titled Boys & Girls, films a man and a woman preparing for a date with anonymous love interests. The viewer assumes that they are meeting each other, but it is revealed at the end that they are in fact meeting partners of the same sex.

The third screening was of a touching music video for “The Light” by HollySiz, which follows the journey of a young transgender girl coming to be accepted by her father despite his initial reluctance. The longest and final video, I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone, tells the story of two young men falling in love, one of whom is blind.

Overall, the films shown reflected the values of Out in Schools and their representatives: acceptance, intersectionality, and equality. The screening provided a welcoming, educational environment for open discussion for all attendees.