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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 2, 2007 - 5 Groups unite on human rights issue Continued from page 4 Spectrum has also partnered with a host of community organizations who attended the launch, including the Halton Multicultural Council, Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services of Halton (S.A.V.I.S), Halton Regional Police, Halton Child Youth Services, the Elementary Teacher's Federation, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and Transitions for Youth. "Because it involves so many partnerships in the community, Spectrum's almost become a hub," Yeo said. "When there's a need for information and support, we can almost direct the person to the right place, which is so valu- able." Another one of those partners is Iroquois Ridge's recentlyformed Gay Straight Alliance. It's a student-driven conversation group and support network that meets once a week after school to talk about personal, global or any issues to do with sexuality. "I decided it was something I wanted to get involved with," said the group's president, Stephen Soock, a Grade 11 student who was approached by a teacher to head up the group. "I think that it's a human rights issue at its core, it's not a separate anomaly by any means. It has to be viewed just as any other issue, like being a minority. It's just one that hasn't gotten enough "I think that it's a human rights issue at its core, it's not a separate anomaly by any means." Stephen Soock, Grade 11, Iroquois Ridge High School attention." As Breakspear noted, since founding Spectrum a year ago, the Halton District School Board has been extremely supportive in helping to ensure diverse sexuality issues do get noticed. Director of Education Wayne Joudrie attended the launch Wednesday to congratulate those involved, and to encourage them to continue their work. "From my perspective, it's incredibly important that all people feel, and in fact are, included in our schools and in our organizations," he said. Joudrie highlighted a school effectiveness survey conducted recently across the school board that showed about 75 per cent of students agreed with the statements, `I feel safe' and `I feel I belong.' "That's really terrific news, except it's also really terrible news," he said. "What about the other 25 per cent? "It jumps to my mind that individuals that feel or are made to feel different are among those people we need to support." That need for support is the reason Yeo insisted he continue to be a part of the Spectrum group, even though he's retired. "I don't want any other teachers or any gay teachers in the system to go through what I went through ­ to be a closeted, gay teacher," he said. "It's very different and difficult to be a gay teacher in Halton. That support and knowing you're not alone is really important." For more on the Spectrum group and its online conference sites, Spectrum Talk and Spectrum Student Talk, visit http://diversity.hdsb.ca. 1031 North Service Road East Oakville, ON L6H 1A6 Tel: (905) 849-7785 Fax: (905) 842-7491 info@customcupola.com www.customcupola.com Adopt a boulevard or median Flowers will soon be blooming along Third Line, between Upper Middle Road and Liverpool Street, as part of a median beautification pilot project. Town staff will be planting the centre median with droughtresistant annuals this summer, with the hope that the flowers will attract sponsors for the future. The plantings are the first step toward the creation of a town-wide boulevard and median sponsorship program with the aim of beautifying Oakville. That program, which could be introduced in 2008 depending on the level of interest generated by the Third Line plantings, would see the town offer recognition to companies or organizations that provide cash sponsorship of a median planting along an arterial road. All planting and maintenance of the medians would be undertaken by the town. This summer will also see a formalized relationship established between the town and community groups that currently adopt and care for a flower bed on town property. Town staff note informal arrangements already exist in several areas, where local groups have adopted a flower bed or cul-de-sac island. In most cases, the town provides the plants and watering services, while the local group undertakes planting, maintenance and fall clean-up activities. A formal application process will help ensure expectations around the program are clear. 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