Jack Chapter: #BeThere Initiative

Written by Andrew Simpson ‘20
It was an awesome day at our #BeThere initiative. This initiative really highlighted the importance of being an ally in relation to people struggling with mental health and people in the LGBTQ+ community or both. Research has shown that LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of mental health challenges because of societal prejudice, verbal/physical abuse from peers, the use of derogatory terms, and/or institutional discrimination. Furthermore, transgender youth are nearly four times more likely than their non-transgender peers to experience depression, which really demonstrates how much we need allies in our society. Our main goal with this initiative was to touch on ways that we can be an ally, support our peers, and to spread positivity throughout the school by writing our positive messages on the windows for everyone to see.

Supporting one another or being an ally in times of need is so important because if we are allies, together, we can help people feel more accepted in society, remove the stigma around being an LGBTQ+ person, and even lower suicide rates. 

There are so many ways to be an ally. Here are a few:
  • Be inclusive regardless of sexual orientation, race, etc.
  • Listen. It's impossible to learn and understand what someone is going through if you are unwilling to listen to what they have to say. 
Speak up about issues you see. You want to use your voice to empower other people to become an ally and fight for others who may need your support. However, you want to make sure that you are saying things that won't offend other people in the community you are trying to speak up for.
Back

Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811
We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and as settlers, we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.
Copyright © 2022 Greenwood College School