PERTH’S RESIDENT “SPEAKER, WRITER, THINKER” TAKES ON BULLYING
Perth, Ontario. Calvin Neufeld, a female-to-male transsexual and resident of Perth, will be speaking to the public on the subject of bullying at St. Paul's United Church, 25 Gore St. W., on March 10 at 2 p.m. The event is free and all are welcome.
“Bullying is appalling. It’s destroying lives and it's got to stop,” says Calvin, who has made it his career to “make life better for free.”
A self-described “speaker, writer, thinker,” Calvin launched his career in October 2011 with a public presentation called “Meet Calvin: A story of love, honesty, integrity and other hokey stuff,” which recounted his story as a 30-year-old man who was “born a bald baby girl.” During the one-hour Q&A session that followed the presentation, bullying stood out as a subject of particular concern among parents, educators and youth in attendance. This is why Calvin has made it the exclusive focus of his upcoming presentation.
“I'm not so much interested in treating the symptoms of bullying as finding the cure,” says Calvin, who believes in the power of words to transform lives. With his unique combination of humour and insight, Calvin will be exploring the phenomenon of bullying and exposing the dynamics - from fear to insecurity to apathy - that feed this kind of vicious, predatory behaviour. “After all,” says Calvin, “the best weapon and the best defence against anything is understanding.”
With bullying increasingly present in the public consciousness, Calvin isn't alone in the swelling wave of people stepping up to fight back. LGBTQ Lanark County, which made headlines last year when it orchestrated Perth's first ever Pride Day, has launched an Enough is Enough! anti-bullying campaign targeted at local high school students.
Spokesperson Maureen Bostock says the campaign is “a response to the discouraging reality for lesbian, gay and transgender youth that bullying is a daily occurrence.” Rainbow-coloured wristbands are being distributed to “express the wearer’s solidarity and offer a reminder that the most effective way to stop bullying is to speak up.” They are also developing a poster series featuring prominent local individuals wearing wristbands and carrying a strong message of support and affirmation “to ensure that lesbian, gay and transgender youth in Lanark County know they have allies.” Poster subjects to date include the Perth Town Crier, the mayors of Perth, Smiths Falls and Carleton Place, the principals of Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute, and Calvin Neufeld. Photos can be viewed at http://www.lgbtlanark.com/.
For more information about Calvin Neufeld and his upcoming presentation on bullying, visit http://www.calvinneufeld.com/.
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