Thank you, Mr. Speaker. February 26th is Pink Shirt Day. It’s a day when we
take a stand against bullying by wearing a pink shirt or a pink scarf or a pink flower.
This annual day has unlikely beginnings. It started with a simple protest in 2007 following a bullying incident at a rural Nova Scotia high school. A ninth grade male student had been bullied for wearing a pink shirt, and in a gesture of solidarity, two senior high school boys purchased and distributed 50 pink shirts. To the organizers’ surprise, the protest made national headlines. Shortly after, several provincial Premiers designated Pink Shirt Day an official day against bullying.
What’s the symbolism behind a pink shirt? Well, pink is usually associated with femininity and boys who wear it could be in danger of being perceived as weak. On the occasion I just described, two older, stronger boys deliberately broke with convention by wearing pink themselves and getting other boys to do it too. It was an ingenious way of taking a stand with their younger schoolmate and simultaneously shaming the bullies.
Bullying goes beyond this type of gender-based intimidation. It includes any act of aggression, whether it’s swearing, shouting, spreading rumours, engaging in nasty practical jokes, or invading someone’s privacy. The effects of bullying are devastating and can last a lifetime and, in extreme cases, can lead to incidents of suicide.
Through the 2010 Minister’s Forum on Aboriginal Student Achievement and the National Health Survey on School Age Children, we know that NWT students have been severely affected by bullying as
well. There is an urgent need for action. Thankfully, bullying has climbed to a higher place of prominence on the government’s agenda. New territorial legislation was passed in 2013 and a campaign is underway to combat bullying and develop resources for victims, teachers, parents and bystanders.
Bullying can’t be wiped out by a single government, agency or a community group. A collective effort is required. I challenge Members of the Legislative Assembly and residents of the Northwest Territories to wear pink on February 26th and commit to a
compassionate way of life and kind way of interacting with others. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.