By: Ariel Roitman, FSWC Educator

Not only does Pride Month celebrate LGBTQ+ folks, spotlighting their diverse contributions, it also helps the greater public to educate itself on the Queer story in Canada and amplify LGBTQ+ voices. The fact we celebrate Pride Month is a testament to the Canadian core values of acceptance and diversity.

The history of LGBTQ+ people is linked to the Holocaust. In addition to targeting Jews, the Nazis also persecuted gay and lesbian people. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they began arresting gay men under Paragraph 175, the statute of the German criminal code that banned sexual relations between men. Gay men were imprisoned in concentration camps alongside Jews and were forced to wear a pink triangle on their uniforms, which designated them “homosexual” offenders.

The stories of Queer folk during the Holocaust are often overlooked. What better time than Pride Month to learn more and bear witness to Queer experiences under the Nazi regime.

To learn more, check out these articles:

Gay men under the Nazi regime

Persecution of gay people in Nazi Germany

Recommended book:

“Branded by the Pink Triangle” by Ken Setterington (https://secondstorypress.ca/products/branded-by-the-pink-triangle)

June 18 - International Day Against Hate Speech

We have all heard – and maybe even repeated – the old adage:

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”

While the intent may have been to encourage young people to build resilience or strength in character, this messaging is not as opportune as it once was. This catchphrase, while well-intended, fails to acknowledge the power of hateful rhetoric and its potentially dangerous consequences. Words can hurt and they carry significant weight.

The prevention of hate speech plays an important role in preventing hate-driven atrocities; the United Nations has identified hate speech as a “precursor to atrocity crimes, including genocide.”

The Holocaust began with words. It resulted from hate-filled ideas, expressed through words, both spoken and written, and behaviour that eventually became normalized.

In 2021, the United Nations designated June 18 International Day Against Hate Speech. We encourage you to use this day as an opportunity to broaden classroom discussions on hate and hate speech.

Classroom Questions:

-              What is hate speech?

-              Where do we find hate speech?

-              How do we stand up to hate speech?

-              How does hate speech affect you?

-              What is the difference between free speech and hate speech?

Classroom Activity: “Tree of Hate”

Find an example of hate speech or discrimination that students encountered recently. Then, on a large piece of paper draw a tree. The example of hate speech forms the trunk. Write it in bold, big letters. But what were the causes and what effects did it have? Have students work in groups to produce different answers. Have them write the causes in the tree's roots and effects in its branches.