ATHABASCA - As Pride Month (the month during which those in and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community celebrate their identities) comes to a close, many local teens are reflecting on the month and what it brought, and while many are appreciative of the support they’ve received, it is easy to look back on the hate they’ve experienced as well.
On June 2, some of the students at Edwin Parr Composite School in Athabasca, like Nicholas Aubé, went out of their way to celebrate Pride Month by marking the school’s sidewalk with colourful chalk artwork.
“The school’s administration has always been accepting and accommodating of queer and trans identities, for which I am very grateful,” Aubé said.
But even so, some students are not as accepting, and took it upon themselves to remove or draw over the artwork, claiming they were fighting against “propaganda” despite the peaceful messages stating “love is love” and featuring many of the flags associated with the community.
These students were caught by the school’s administration and the situation was dealt with from there, but this was not the first time these students had faced homophobic hate from fellow classmates.
“Despite prejudiced people’s tendency to remain quiet, I have still been targeted with hateful language and slurs,” Aubé explained, adding that even though these people would not typically voice their opinions unprovoked, when given the chance they often go out of their way to express their disapproval.
Some even found their own friends expressing these opinions, such as Rebecca Cote.
“I started struggling with my identity around Grade 7… I ended up losing friends because of questioning my own sexuality,” she said.
Youth spend a lot more time on social media than ever before, which is also where much of the hate is being perpetuated.
Maxyme Prud’Homme said she finds “posting on social media about pride or [their] identity gets a lot of hate from people who don’t agree.” They also found even the way she dressed was sometimes enough to earn assumptions from those around her.
One thing many of the local students also brought up was a lack of education surrounding LGBTQ+ issues, and the effects this lack of education produces.
“We don’t get enough education surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and its history, what it is, etc. and that causes children to be uninformed,” another student said, further explaining, “When you don’t understand something it's difficult to accept it and in turn, respect it.”
Cote agreed, saying she wished schools had more support for those exploring their identities in school as they learned more of the world. Sascha Smethurst felt the same, explaining that the lack of representation within schools has meant having to learn everything for herself.
Overall, every student felt coming out in a small town like Athabasca was incredibly difficult due to the “heterosexual norm,” as Cote put it.
“It is difficult for young people to be themselves when this is the environment they are in. Athabasca has little to no representation for the LGBTQ+ community,” Prud’Homme explained.
Brynn Gyte agreed: “For someone who doesn’t label their sexuality, it can be extremely difficult in a small town as you can’t really figure out what you want to identify as without everyone knowing.”
Rather than coming out on their own terms, many people are forced out before they are ready just because of the way rumours tend to spread.
“Growing up in a small town, queer, has been quite difficult for me,” said another EPC student who didn’t want to be identified. “It’s not great for my mental health, especially when we live in a very close-minded small town where education about the LGBTQ+ community is very minimal, if present at all.”
“I hope that one day queer and trans people living in Athabasca are no longer obligated to fight for visibility,” Aubé said.
“Support is one of the most important things for young queer people that are discovering who they are,” said Prud’Homme.
