Nunavut school celebrates “Rainbow Day” May 1

Students and staff from Kiilinik high school in Cambridge Bay show their support for diversity May 1 at the school’s first “Rainbow Day.” (PHOTO COURTESY OF KIILINIK)

May 1 is “Rainbow Day” at Kiilinik high school in Cambridge Bay. (FILE PHOTO)

Kiilinik High School in Cambridge Bay held its first “Rainbow Day” on May 1, which the Kitikmeot School Operation’s executive director Jonathan Bird called “a very proactive approach and important conversation we need to have with youth in our communities.”

The day was planned to show support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students at the school as well as those in the western Nunavut town of 1,500 who are part of the LGBTQ community.

The rainbow, long used as a sign of diversity, inclusiveness, hope and yearning, has since the 1970s become a symbol of pride and diversity, with the different colors symbolizing diversity in the gay community.

“We created this initiative as a response to the conversations happening in our school about sexual identity,” said Anne Daniel, vice-principal of Kiilinik high school.

At Kiilinik you might see a same-sex teenaged couple holding hands or students whose way of dressing doesn’t tell you whether they’re girls or boys.

Daniel said that her 260-student school wanted to offer more support to students and community members who are part of the LGBTQ community.

“And as part of our Inuuqatigiitsiarniq [positive school environment] initiatives, we feel this contributes to our ongoing efforts to make our school a safe and welcoming environment for everyone,” she said.

Kiilinik’s May 1 Rainbow Day also coincided with Canada’s National Day to End Bullying.

“Hatred, bigotry and bullying in any form is not tolerated at Kiilinik,” Daniel said. “But dealing with issues of sexuality can be a delicate subject in schools.

“Our staff recognizes that negative feelings can come from a lack of understanding or knowledge, so Rainbow Day is a positive way for us to open communication between staff and students, and promote understanding on the topic of sexuality.”

Daniel said that Kiilinik’s staff try thier best to handle bullying issues when they arise, but bullying often takes place in more subtle forms, and that’s harder for staff to catch, she said.

“The best response to those subtle forms of bullying comes from the students themselves. Rainbow Day is a way for students to stand up and show their support for their fellow classmates and community members, and let other students know this is a topic that is okay to talk about, to ask questions about, and to be comfortable with.”

During the day various activities were planned, designed to show “a positive vibe that makes our school a great place to be.”

“We can’t solve all the world’s problems, but the idea is to get people thinking, questioning, opening up their minds, building camaraderie between students, and having fun doing it,” Daniel said.