Two organizations that make it their mission to support and advocate for the rights, inclusion and well-being of the 2SLGBTQI+ community have been awarded the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s (ATA) 2025 Public Education Award. Egale Canada and Skipping Stone were presented the award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to public education in Alberta, during the ATA’s 108th Annual Representative Assembly.
“This means so much to our team, especially because our work is often behind the scenes,” Jennifer Boyce, Egale Canada’s director of marketing and communications, said in accepting the award. “To be seen and celebrated in this way is truly appreciated.”
Amelia Newbert and Lindsay Peace, co-founders of Skipping Stone, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. Newbert commented that she views accepting the award as an ongoing commitment between Skipping Stone and the teachers of Alberta.
“We will continue working together to ensure that every single student that comes through our schools has a safe, affirming and welcoming place to be themselves, to grow and to thrive,” Newbert said.
Although it was a moment to celebrate, both recipients noted the concerning environment that members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community are navigating every day. Egale Canada and Skipping Stone are partners in a lawsuit against the Government of Alberta, challenging legislation on restricting gender-affirming care.
“When this horrific legislation came out, we almost instantly saw such a chilling effect,” Newbert said. “We started to see allies, supporters, start to back away. This is not the time to back away,” she continued. “This is the time to double down on our support.”
In her speech, Boyce noted that between 2016 and 2023, hate crimes targeting LGBTQ people increased by nearly 400 per cent, stating that this increase is connected to the introduction of harmful legislation across the country.
“We know that this surge in hate, targeting LGBTQ communities, is having an impact on our schools,” Boyce said. Echoing Newbert’s call for unity, Boyce added, “From educators in classrooms to school administrators, trustees, policymakers and families, we all have a role to play. None of us can do this work on our own.”
In accepting the award, both organizations remarked on the importance of support systems for trans and gender diverse youth, and the significant role schools play in providing such supports. Boyce told the Assembly that students surveyed by Egale Canada often refer to the support they received as LGBTQ students from their teachers, with many of them wanting their teachers to know how appreciated they are and that, in some cases, they are even saving lives.
Newbert echoed this sentiment, thanking teachers for the work they put in every day for their students, saying, “It is so profoundly felt and so profoundly impactful.”
The award was fittingly presented to both groups on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
