Things are set to get a little more colourful above the Burnaby school board office as staff get ready to fly the Pride flag for a week during Pride Month in June.
The school district’s SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) committee met earlier this month and decided to recommended the flag be flown at the district’s Kincaid Street headquarters for a week starting on June 7.
The school board unanimously approved the idea at a board meeting Tuesday.
“The Pride Flag is a visual reminder that the Burnaby school district welcomes and supports all staff, students and families, regardless of gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation,” said Trustee Larry Hayes, who sits on the SOGI commitment.
There are several versions of the Pride flag, but the board has decided to fly the 2017 Progress Pride Flag, which incorporates black, brown, white, pink and light blue chevrons (to represent communities of colour and transgender pride) along with the familiar rainbow stripes of the traditional flag.
Assistant superintendent Roberto Bombelli noted the SOGI committee also discussed formalizing policies and protocols for individual schools who may want to fly the flag in the future.
“We’ll do some work to see how that might turn into an annual event,” he said.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
Email cnaylor@burnabynow.com
