‘Safe Places’ coming to Kamloops schools on Pink Shirt Day

To coincide with Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, police in Kamloops will be lunching a Safe Places program at public schools throughout the region.

Safe Places are where members of the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community will be able to wait safely for police to arrive if they are experiencing hate, according to a media release from the Kamloops RCMP.

"The Kamloops RCMP detachment is hoping to draw attention to all the colours of a rainbow during this year’s Pink Shirt Day," the release says. “The Safe Places Rainbow Shield will be placed on school office and counsellor doors to symbolize the space as somewhere students can go when they are being bullied and feel confident that their concerns, feelings, and who they are as individuals will be accepted and acknowledged."

Local businesses and organizations that support the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community can be found on the Kamloops Pride website.

“Implementing the program in schools on Feb. 22, makes it that much more significant in raising awareness about the harm of bullying and the importance in taking steps to support each other,” Cpl. Dana Napier said in the release. “We wanted to do something that captured the meaning of Pink Shirt Day – kindness, empathy, understanding – and link it to the symbolism of the Safe Places Rainbow Shield.”

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