A pair of youth leadership students at Lambrick Park secondary are busy putting the final touches together for the inaugural Love is Love, the region’s first gay-straight alliance conference for high school students Monday (April 27) at Lambrick Park.
Seniors Caitlin Doherty and Matt Treble are behind the conference. It’s the key project for the new Lambrick Park Gay Straight Alliance, which the two leadership students created this year.
“It’s timely as it runs just ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (May 17),” Doherty said.
Monday is a A Pro-D day for teachers, an off day for students in the region, but Treble said they hoped for 50 registrants. The conference has more than 130 registrants, all high school students from Greater Victoria.
“We did a couple of smaller things, like getting two gender neutral washrooms at Lambrick, but this is by far our biggest project,” Treble said.
Love is Love is six hours of speakers, workshops and lunch (pizza, graciously donated by principle Kevin Luchies), starting at 9:30 a.m. The key note address is on Project Respect by the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre.
Among the workshop leaders is Saanich Parks and Rec., which is gathering feedback for the youth development strategy, a five year plan.
reporter@saanichnews.com