Based on the success of this space in


our school, (see: etfovoice.ca/article/its-the- small-things-that-matter-most/) students proposed the next leap in our school’s evolu- tion, all-gender cabins.


DIGGING DEEPER


We organize two school trips each year that have an overnight component. The first is our fall camping trip, where all the students sleep in tents for two nights. The second is our year-end trip to YMCA Camp Pine Crest. There are significantly more mosqui- tos in June, but we have the good fortune of being able to sleep in cabins in the woods. Up until this past year, we had always created four girls’ cabins and four boys’ cabins. One day late in the fall, a member of


our Queer Straight Alliance approached me with insider knowledge about the fall camp- ing trip. She was aware that a fellow student had been uncomfortable sleeping in a tent


28 ETFO VOICE | SPRING 2016


that did not match their gender identity, and had already decided not to go on our year- end trip. We began by writing a letter to the principal:


“…We understand that there could be difficulties solving this but in our QSA we have been talking about the possibility of providing one or more all-gender cab- ins in addition to the gender-based cab- ins. Much like our all-gender washroom, we propose that the community take re- sponsibility collectively to create a safe space, and allies could opt into the all- gender cabin… ”


A quick and resounding ‘yes’ from the


principal put our students into high gear. Classroom conversations began to gener- ate questions and propose solutions. How many all-gender cabins would there be? How would students change into and out of swim- suits and pajamas? What if a student started


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