The co-creator’s of GrammarPride, a platform for LGBTI past and present pupils of Auckland Grammar School, are now taking their concept nationwide. Henry Yuen and Joel Bateman have launched Voicing Pride, a new storytelling platform that aims to give a voice to the unheard members of the LGBTI communities across all New Zealand secondary schools. The pair say “Voicing Pride is a scaling-up of the initial GrammarPride project, aiming to highlight the fact that issues experienced by LGBTQ high schoolers are not exclusive to any singular secondary school.” GrammarPride was launched in January 2016 in response to a feeling from many young men that the prevailing attitude at Auckland Grammar School was homophobic. The former students noted a lack of support resources for LGBTI students at Grammar and the school, not denying allegations, acknowledged that it is a core responsibility to teach students sensitivity towards acceptance of the rights of others. Recognising that this is an issue faced by many students around the country, Yuen and Bateman have broadened the goals of their project. “We recognise that there isn't an easily accessible online space for LGBTQ high school students to be heard,” they say. “Many high school students in homophobic and transphobic environments are unable to speak up because of the very nature of those environments. This website aims to meet that need by empowering those students in a safe and accessible way. With both a Facebook page and a website, Voicing Pride is comprised of school resources, student resources and personal stories. Their mission statement outlines the importance of storytelling, “We aim to shed light on the lives of students and teachers who work tirelessly to make their school a place of safety and pride, as well as the unnoticed struggles of those who remain silenced today. In doing so, we hope to promote a New Zealand in which LGBTQ+ students and staff are not only exempt from any form of discrimination, but are also fully empowered by their school communities.” They say “We believe storytelling and the use of narrative is a powerful way to engage people by virtue of its very personal nature. For queer and gender diverse students and teachers, these stories are a place to reflect on similarities and differences in experience, and encourage thought about how secondary schools might do a better job of supporting their LGBTQ students. And for straight, gender-conforming members of school communities, these stories aim to engage people in the difficulties still faced by the LGBTQ community, to build empathy and encourage allyship.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 18th January 2017 - 4:55pm