Gay-straight alliance members say group saves lives

Students from one Winnipeg schoolare speaking out in support of controversial anti-bullying legislation introduced by the provincial government earlier this year.

A number of Manitoba groups have come down on either side of Bill 18, new anti-bullying legislation to be in place in the province by this fall. The legislation calls for gay-straight alliances to be made available in schools, should students want them.

A number of faith-based groups have said the act infringes on their religious rights, whileothers have said the legislation is an important step in counteracting bullying in Manitoba schools.

Maples Collegiate students have had access to a GSA for the last three years.

Student Sydney Davies said the group saved her life.

Davies said a few years ago she was struggling with her sexuality and almost took her own life.

"Coming to the GSA made things so much better," Davies said Wednesday.

She said she found support from teachers and students in a safe space, and it made all the difference.

Every Wednesday in room 131, Maples Collegiate GSA meets to try and build awareness for and educate the rest of the school on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited issues.

"We provide knowledge and thats such a huge thing because the opposite of ignorance is knowledge," said Davies.

But not everyone in the province wants to see GSAs available to students.Religious schools and groups in Steinbach, Man., have come out in staunch opposition to the legislation.

Steinbach city council even passed a motion to petition the province to stop the legislation from going through.

"I really think its idiotic because thats just being homophobic. Its just saying those schools do not want support for people who are trans or gay," said Davies.

"They do not want people to have a safe environment."

And safe environments, according to, Lynda Brethauer Venton, is what GSAs are all about.

Venton founded the Maples Collegiate GSA and said GSAs are important for students who need them to be able to develop and reach their full potential.

"If theyre worried about coming out to family, Am I gay? Am I trans? Am I born in the wrong body? If thats their entire focus, and they have no one to talk to about it, of course its going to affect their learning, their marks, their mental health," said Venton.

Provincial officials have said they will not back down from the legislationand want to see it in place before classes begin this fall.