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| Narisa Windover, Brad Kostachuk, Alex Hyde, Heba Abdulmalik and Jessica Pickering are members of the Fruit Salad club- a Gay-Straight Alliance group at Thomas Haney secondary. They are dressed in accessories from the club’s flair box |
"The kids at Thomas Haney secondary aren’t all right after hearing of MLA Marc Dalton’s vote against part of a bill that will allow people to change their gender on their birth certificates. “Thank you, Mr. Dalton, for reminding me why we do need gay-straight alliance groups in the public school system,” said Kathryn Ferguson, teacher and staff liaison for the gay-straight alliance at Thomas Haney secondary. “I wish we didn’t have a need for these groups, but when you have a MLA making these ignorant statements, it puts fire underneath us to keep going – because we’re still needed.” Dalton on April 29, voted against a section of a bill that would allow people to change their gender on birth certificates without having to prove they’ve had sex-change surgery. “I think the problem here is Marc Dalton lacks a fundamental understanding of what trans rights and what the whole issue is,” said student Megan Pearson. “Someone who seems to misunderstand so much of these issues … I’d have to question the eligibility of his platform.” For Nicole Holmgren, allowing a legal change before surgery “would allow them to accept themselves more. “The birth certificate would help them to legally define themselves as to what they know who they are.” It’s a lengthy surgical process before individuals can even call themselves one gender or another, she added. Read More
