Transgender activist Nicole Joliet runs for Surrey school board

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      Growing up in Langley, trans activist Nicole Joliet recalls being taunted at school for not conforming to gender norms.

      Now 23 years old, Joliet is hoping to become the first transgender trustee on the Surrey school board. The independent candidate told the Georgia Straight her main goal is to see B.C.’s largest school district adopt a policy similar to the updated sexual-orientation and gender-identities policy approved by the Vancouver school board in June.

      “I would actually consider Vancouver’s to be the minimum of what should be done,” Joliet said by phone from her Newton home. “I think there are quite possibly even more forward steps you could take.”

      In 2013, the Surrey school board added a number of antihomophobia and antitransphobia regulations to its policies. One policy stipulates that staff have an “obligation to intervene in any interaction involving the use of homophobic and or transphobic statements, comments, and behaviours”.

      However, Joliet described the policy changes as a “cover your ass” move. She maintained the school board hasn’t done enough to protect queer and transgender students.

      “There’s no explicit requirement that staff will not refer their students to so-called conversion therapy, like the Vancouver school board has sitting right in the front of their policy,” Joliet said.

      According to school board vice chair Laurie Larsen, the policy revisions were drafted by an ad hoc committee with LGBTQ members. Larsen, who is seeking reelection with the Surrey First Education slate, maintained that the adoption of the regulations was a “huge step”, though she understands Joliet’s disappointment.

      “To me, it wasn’t strong enough; it doesn’t cover enough, but it was a start,” Larsen told the Straight by phone from Surrey City Hall. “With any of these things at the school board, in order to get acceptance, you have to take small steps.”

      This October, the trustee said, she intends to ask the committee to review the regulations and recommend further policy updates.

      “It may not be as strong as Vancouver,” Larsen said. “That may take us a while to get there.”

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