Queen Mary students pose on the freshly painted Pride crosswalk. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Pride in P.A.

Queen Mary students create rainbow crosswalk for Pride Month

Jun 1, 2021 | 1:32 PM

Students at Queen Mary Public School kicked off Pride Month by giving a nearby crosswalk a rainbow makeover Tuesday.

Around ten students who attended this year’s Saskatchewan Gay Straight Alliance Summit completed the transformation – topped with glitter – with help from teachers, administrators and local city councillors.

Grade eight students Terese Randhile and Maggie Whitehead told paNOW they wanted to participate in the initiative to show support for the LGBTQ community.

“It makes them feel like they belong in the city if they see this,” Randhile said.

Grade seven student Carmon Bearray puts the finishing touches on the Pride crosswalk. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

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Teacher Adrienne Schenk said actions like Tuesday’s are part of creating a supportive environment for all kids.

“It’s all about the students, for them to know that this is a safe place that we accept and love them for who they are,” she said.

Schenk helped create Prince Albert’s first Pride crosswalk in 2018 when she was a teacher at Carlton Comprehensive High School. During her 16 year career in education, she said she’s seen growing efforts by educators to raise awareness about sexual and gender diversity.

“Our students are aware of who they are and it’s up to us to provide those safe spaces for them… if we don’t do that we know that we can do irreparable harm,” she said.

While painting a crosswalk might seem insignificant, Schenk said the visual display is very important when it comes to representation and creating a sense of belonging.

“When I realized who I was, if something like this would have happened at my school, that would have been amazing,” she said. “The feeling I would have had of safety and security, that I wasn’t some outcast, would have been life changing, literally. To be able to provide this for students now, is absolutely unbelievable.”

City council unanimously approved allowing Queen Mary Public School to create the crosswalk at a May 25 meeting.

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom