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Input to be sought on anti-homophobia policy

The board of education plans to seek public input on an anti-homophobia policy the New Westminster school district is considering.

The board of education plans to seek public input on an anti-homophobia policy the New Westminster school district is considering.

The district is developing a sexual orientation/gender identity policy that includes recommendations on curriculum, safety and inclusion for schools and the community at-large.

"There are no concerns that we are aware of in the district," board of education vice-chair Michael Ewen said, explaining the rationale for developing the policy. "It's more of a proactive thing."

Last November, former school trustee Lori Watt introduced a motion - which the board passed unanimously - that the district develop such a policy, Ewen said. The most-recent follow-up motion to seek input on the draft policy also passed unanimously at the May 22 school board meeting.

The policy is meant to ensure the inclusion of all students and employees in the district, regardless of their sexual orientation. It's also meant to define the appropriate language and behaviour to prevent and raise awareness about discrimination, harassment and exclusion and to ensure that complaints about homophobia are taken seriously and dealt with in a timely manner, superintendent John Woudzia wrote in his report on the draft policy.

Approximately 17 school districts in the province have policies to address discrimination based on sexual orientation. The district's draft policy was developed following an extensive review of policies that exist in other school districts, Woudzia noted.

Under B.C. human rights, the ministry of the attorney general defines homophobia as "an irrational fear or hatred for anyone who is, or appears to be lesbian, gay bisexual or transgendered" and defines sexual orientation discrimination as "someone bothering, threatening or treating a person differently or unfairly because of that person's sexual orientation," Woudzia wrote.

When the Burnaby school district approved an anti-homophobia policy last year, an ad hoc group of outraged parents - called Parents' Voice - formed in opposition to the policy, claiming it infringed on their rights to educate their children according to their moral and religious beliefs. The group eventually forged into a full-fledged civic party but had no success at the polls in last fall's election.

nhope@royalcityrecord.com