School Sherbrooke withdraws its workshops to raise awareness of homophobia

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Marika Simard

Wednesday, 20 December 2017 13:37

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Wednesday, 20 December 2017 13:37

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SHERBROOKE – about A hundred students of the commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke have been deprived of their workshops on awareness of stereotypes and homophobia, after a father had filed a complaint.

The parent would have reported that the children would have felt humiliated because, during the second workshop, the stakeholders of Prima Dance presented photographs from the series The imaginary waltzing couples of Olivier Ciappa. It shows public figures twined together, that embody a gay couple.

“These are pictures from the internet. The aim was to facilitate the exchange, cause the dialogue. We wanted to empower the young people so that they do not fall within the judgment if one day they were in front of this kind of images “, explained the co-founder of Prima Dance, Katrine Journeau.

According to the organizer of the activity, the complainant would have also mentioned that one does not treat homophobia in the same way in the major centres in the region, such as at Sherbrooke. “I agree that the approach may be different, but the needs are the same, young people have the same questions,” added Katrina Journeau.

The Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke (CSRS), has indicated that it will reassess the relevance of the collaboration between Prima Dance and the schools of the region. “Faced with this situation, the CSRS recommended that their schools to take the time to see to better balance the learning objectives of the workshop offered by Prima Dance and the concerns of parents,” she says.

Prima Dance was, according to the contract awarded, to give four workshops by the end of the year. Those it offers in the regions of Lanaudière and Québec city are not compromised.