Social Movements In Canada

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Activism and social movements have become a crucial part of Canadian society when it comes to human rights and public policies. When it comes to human rights, Canada is considered to be one of the leading countries in the world with respects to their high sensitivity to democracy, freedom of speech and inclusivity. However, this has not always been the case. Throughout the years, Canada, like any other state, has experienced a series of events that have shifted their public policies to embrace a more liberal approach. By using different strategic techniques, activists are able to create awareness and build support around a specific topic. Similar to the various waves of feminism movements in the past, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender …show more content…

LGBTQ people are often victims of violence and hate speech, which ranges from bullying to teasing in schools. The initiatives to change these issues were formed mainly by the board, teachers, equity staff, and students. There were two influential groups: the Toronto Board of Education Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Employees Group and the Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC (GALE). These two and other local community groups who were mainly interested in youth issues offered volunteer speakers for schools to advocate for a better educational system. These actions were followed by the creation of other groups that aimed to provide support to LGBTQ youth; such as, the Teens Educating About and Challenging Homophobia (TEACH) in Toronto; in BC, YouthCo AIDS Society and Gay Youth Services, Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to make sexual diversity more visible. These established LGBTQ activist groups also helped mobilize school issues to higher positions in their agendas. One highly recognized group was Egale Canada. They prioritized schooling resources which encouraged the engagement between Gay-Straight Alliances in the classroom. In the early 2010s, with the emerging of new government bills, Egale Canada was also prominently involved in the discussion over educator training on LGBTQ issues in provinces such as, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, BC, Alberta and

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