TORONTO — - Leafs general manager Brian Burke asked media to shut off their cameras before he broke down during his speech on gay rights and anti-bullying in front of hundreds of parents, educators and students.
Burke was asked Monday morning to help launch a new Website, MyGSA.ca, which is the first national resource dedicated to helping lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning (LGBTQ) youth at the Sutton Place Hotel.
Burke's son Brendan was 21 when he was killed in a car crash last February — three months after the father-son pair made headlines when it was revealed that Brendan was gay.
"We have to get to a point where you can go to school free of fear," Burke said. "Fear is a horrible emotion to feel and smaller kids get picked on and gay kids get picked on. It's got to stop."
The website was created to protect the human rights of LGBTQ Canadians when bullying is still rampant in schools.
It contains resources for youth, including questions and answers about human rights legislation and how to start Gay-Straight Alliances at schools.
