Pink Shirt Day Contest Winner

We are thrilled to announce that the winning design for the 2024-2025 Pink Shirt contest was created by Nan Voghell, a student in Grade 3 at James Thomson Elementary. 

Read below what Nan shared with us about her design and how she wants it to make people feel: 

Q: How did you feel when you found out your design was the winner? 

A: I felt excited and a little nervous because it’s going to be everywhere! 

Q: What do you want people to think when they wear it or see it on others? 

A: I want them to think happy thoughts. 

Q: What do you wish that more people understood or appreciated about people of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community? 

A: I wish people would see people and appreciate them as they are instead of who they want them to be. 

The contest was open to all qSD students K-7 and was a collaboration between the Brooks GSA, and District SOGI Committee. Rowan Cocksedge, a member of both the Brooks GSA and the District SOGI Committee, attended the T-shirt reveal event and presented the winning design to Nan.  

Click here for the Order Form! $10 each.

Pink Shirt Day Goes Beyond Kindness 

While Pink Shirt Day is certainly a time to emphasize the importance of being kind, we should not forget that the day began with two grade 12 students taking direct action in response to a specific incident of bullying that was homophobic in nature.   

In the words of BC teacher Bryan Gidinski, “It wasn’t a random act.  It was a targeted and purposeful response with an objective.  It was a product of observing hurt and isolation that conflicted with their values and that they wanted to do something about.  It was a response to witnessing homophobic taunts and engaging in a peaceful and productive demonstration to combat that specific behaviour and to communicate a sense of “you are not alone” to the young boy who was targeted.”  

The day is a call to action that encourages us all to have the courage and creativity to intervene effectively when we witness behaviours that diminish the dignity of others – often based on things that are outside of their control. The day is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the impact of societal expectations and assumptions of sexuality, gender, or other aspects of identity.