Gay 23-Year-Old Running for Toronto School Board Seat
Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson knows what it’s like to be a gay student dealing with life at a public school, and he thinks the experience makes him an ideal candidate for a position on the Toronto District School Board.
Johnson, 23, is shoring up support in advance of the February 27 election. Johnson is not new to the politics of the TDSB — he’s worked for the district since 2007 and is currently an executive assistant to one of the trustees. Johnson got the job after he was kicked out of his house at age 16 after his stepmother discovered he was gay. He moved into Covenant House, Canada’s largest shelter for homeless youth, and eventually met a TDSB member who offered him a job with the board.
If elected, Johnson will support additional gay-straight alliances and antihomophobia events.
“I represent a very diverse minority group, and I have experienced a lot of what our students are experiencing, such as single-parent families, homelessness, and I am a queer youth of color,” Johnson tells Canada’s Xtra! newspaper.
Minn. School Board Passes Strong Anti-bullying Curriculum
Outgoing members of the Minneapolis school board voted unanimously Tuesday to strengthen the LGBT curriculum and antibullying efforts.
According to The Minnesota Independent, the board passed a resolution that directs the Minneapolis school district to enhance its tracing of bullying incidents and inclusion of LGBT themes in the curriculum.
“The resolution directs the district to include educational materials about the safety of LGBT students and to offer yearly trainings for all district staff from administrators to bus drivers,” reported the Independent. “It will mean that sexual health curriculum will include LGBT issues and an elective course will be created that centers on LGBT history.
“The resolution also provides for the funding of these programs with either outside fundraising or district funds, and requires that the costs and effectiveness of the new programs be tracked.”
Carla Bates, the treasurer and first LGBT person elected to the school board, said the measure would not add to the budget, the Independent reported.
