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I. INTRODUCTION
A.
Keeping Queer Youth Safe - Conference '99
The Oct.
'99 conference, organized by Rainbow BC, took place at the Okanagan University
College in Kelowna. This venue provided a comfortable setting away from
a large city, as well as encouraged the participation of LGBT/GLBT (Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered - queer) persons who feel isolated from
community support, especially as a result of living in small towns or
rural areas of the province.
Rainbow
BC '99 had a special focus on youth, and the issues that matter to them.
For the youth that attended, it was a great time to discover valuable
mentors and mentoring. For those of us who once were youth, it was a time
to use what we've learned to attempt to put an end to violence and
discrimination
for once and for all.
Approximately
50 participants from across BC attended the two-day conference that examined
how queers, especially young LGBT/GLBT persons may advocate for more protection
from violence and oppression in society. The conference used a format
where participants were asked to choose one of four streams that were
identified as areas where violence and oppression occur. The streams were
education, religion/spirituality, health, and employment/income.
B.
What is Rainbow BC?
Rainbow
BC is a loose coalition of individuals and groups throughout British Columbia
supporting queer or lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT/GLBT)
people. Rainbow BC is a unique organization, which provides for networking
between LGBT/GLBT people in small towns and big cities in every region
across British Columbia. In its brief history it has sponsored conferences,
a highly successful report, "Safely Out," and proactive change at
various
levels of government.
What does
the future hold for Rainbow BC? In its original incarnation, Rainbow BC
was an email list with seven or eight names on it, comprised largely of
members of the December 9 Coalition and dedicated to using technology
to become more organized than the bigots. Since 1996 it has turned into
a growing voice for change, a grassroots "think tank" of sorts, whose
recommendations are being heard, respected, and implemented. And that
email list? It now contains the names of almost 70 organizations and individuals
from every region, city, and town in British Columbia.
Now that's
what we call progress!
C.
Conference '99 Focus
In 1997,
Rainbow BC first produced the report "Safely Out," with the assistance
of provincial ministries and from the organization's first queer conference
that focused on violence. In discussions with ministry staff to begin
to implement some of the 1997 conference's recommendations, it was agreed
that a follow-up conference would be worthwhile. This conference would
elaborate more specifically how youth in particular are affected by violence
and oppression, and what support may be offered both by LGBT/GLBT communities
in B.C. and by the provincial government. The '99 conference objective
was to examine the broad subject of queer youth and protection for them
from violence. The organizers interpreted violence widely enough to include
psychological and emotional effects of violence on LGBT/GLBT youth.
Rainbow
BC's '99 goals are:
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To develop provincial policies that address hate
crimes and same-sex relationship violence, with particular sensitivity
for LGBT/GLBT youth and the issues that they face;
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To prepare a report
of this conference discussion and recommendations in order that LGBT/GLBT
organizations and provincial government ministries may then act.
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