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New 2SLGBTQ course in St. Albert Public Schools first of its kind in Alberta, expert says

A student in St Albert public schools celebrates pride week (Submitted by St. Albert Public School Board - image credit)
A student in St Albert public schools celebrates pride week (Submitted by St. Albert Public School Board - image credit)

A new elective class in St. Albert Public Schools aims to offer students perspectives on 2SLGBTQ issues.

This is the first course of its kind in Alberta's history, said Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair for the public understanding of sexual and gender minority youth and an associate professor at MacEwan University.

Well said the new course is great news for students.

"I couldn't help but think back to my own experiences of going to those schools in St. Albert and wishing I would have been able to take a course like that," Wells told CBC's Edmonton AM.

Wells said it was important for students to see themselves reflected back in their community and culture in positive ways.

Similar courses have been appearing across the country, Wells said.

"School districts have to develop these local courses because these topics are not in the provincial curriculum," said Wells. "I think that's part of a larger discussion of what needs to happen."

Students will cover three areas of study during the course: the history of the 2SLGBTQ community, its celebrations, and how to access mental health resources.

Throughout the course, students will analyze portrayals of 2SLGBTQ people in media, identify strategies to address pressures faced by 2SLGBTQ students and develop leadership, empathy and advocacy skills for personal and community empowerment.

In a statement, the St. Albert school board said the course seemed the logical step given the increased interest they have seen from students in various activities during Pride Week.

"We are committed to providing safe, inclusive spaces for our students," the statement reads. "Children in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community can feel isolated and disconnected – this course helps them see themselves in the curriculum."

Youth facing a mental health crisis

Outreach workers in the Edmonton area say Alberta's 2SLGBTQ youth are facing a mental health crisis.

The need for support skyrocketed after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Bekah Marcellus, a community outreach worker with Outloud, a group that supports gender and sexually diverse youth in the St. Albert community.

The foundation primarily offers peer support, and group sessions for people of all ages.

Many of the youth attending have faced bullying in some way.

Marcellus said a common cause is some of the news stories coming from the United States.

"The kids are scared, they're seeing some of those echoes starting here," said Marcellus.

Submitted by Bekah Marcellus
Submitted by Bekah Marcellus

Statistics Canada says four per cent of Canada's total population, 15 years and older, identifies as a member of the 2SLGBTQ community.

A second report says 59 per cent of the community's population has experienced violence, excluding any committed by an intimate partner, since the age of 15.

Transgender Canadians are more likely to have experienced violence since the age of 15.

"It just shows that we need our leaders to stand up and say 2SLGBTQ lives matter," said Wells. "This is an issue of human rights and everyone should be fully included in our society."

The course, called 2SLGBTQIA+ Perspectives, will be made available to students as an option in the 2023-24 school year.