More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) in London, Ont., on Wednesday over school policies on gender identity.
The “1MillionMarch4Children” saw demonstrations held across the country on Sept. 20th, as organizer Our Duty Canada claimed they’re “advocating for the elimination of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum, pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools.”
Gender identity in the education sector made headlines earlier this year as Ontario Premier Doug Ford accused school boards of indoctrinating students.
His comments came on the heels of pronoun policies adopted by New Brunswick and Saskatchewan that require parental consent for students under the age of 16 who want to change their given names and/or pronouns at school.
As the premier insisted that parents should be informed on their child’s gender identity, education minister Stephen Lecce said last month that he believes “parent must be fully involved” if their child chooses to use a different gender pronoun in schools.
The protests are also linked to policies across the country, including in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, that require young people to get parental consent before teachers can use their preferred first names and pronouns.
Demonstrators in London also condemned the use of some “sexually explicit materials” and inappropriate resources within schools.
Lorraine Kane, an attendee and volunteer with Concerned Parents Association of London and Area (CPAL), said they are advocating for the concerns of parents.
“We both have the right to give our opinions,” she said. “They think we’re transphobic but we’re not.. We’re just concerned about education and what is being taught to our kids. That’s the biggest thing.”
In 2018, Ford also ordered his education minister to repeal the “current inappropriate sex education curriculum” and replace it with a new “age-appropriate” version after consultation.
However, when the new sex education system was announced, experts widely said it was the same as the version introduced by the former Liberal government.
As demonstrators and counter-protesters gathered on opposite sides of Dundas Street East, resident Patti Kellar said “this is not about hate.”
“We’re not haters, and we’re not right-wing extremists. We just want to protect our children and make sure they’re getting age-appropriate material when it comes to sexual subjects,” she said.
Kellar, who has worked in the education system for almost 40 years, believes that the SOGI curriculum should be withdrawn from schools.
“Confusing children at this age is absolutely abuse,” she said. “It’s not going to help them, it’s just going to make things harder, and they already have a tough enough world to live in as it is.”
But on the other side of the street, counter-protests were held in response, with advocates calling the walks “a campaign of hate” to deny and push back the rights of Canadians who are members of the LGBTQ2+ community.
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) said in a statement earlier this week that affiliated unions, along with labour councils, would be joining with community organizations to plan events in “solidarity and support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.”
Patricia, who is also the founder of the group Drag Storytime Guardians, stressed the significance of the SOGI curriculum for the LGBTQ2 community.
“We might not all be Guardians, but we are all standing guard here today,” she added.
Londoner Elizabeth Dodman echoed similar sentiments, saying she is “discouraged to see the amount of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric seep into our national conversations.”
“There’s a lot of real issues that we could be tackling and putting energy towards, but instead, we’re badgering children who just want to be able to exist safely,” she said.
“Let’s look at other real issues that are facing our communities, like mental health care for the general population, how we’re addressing the climate crisis or food insecurity… There are so many big things at the table that should be taking our attention away from hurting youth.”
Dodman added that “the world is full of different people, and they all deserve to be treated with respect.”
Speaking with Global News on Wednesday, Purveen Skinner, TVDSB superintendent of equity, said they were “extremely disappointed and devastated with what transpired outside the board office.”
“We want to reiterate to all communities, but in particular to (the) LGBTQ2+ community that we are here to support and that we stand in unwavering solidarity with them today and every day,” she said.
Thames Valley sent the following statement to students, staff, and families following the protests:
We stand in unwavering solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community today and every day.
The safety and well-being of all Thames Valley students and staff remain our highest priority. Mental health supports are available in schools and workplaces for all students and staff.
Thames Valley has a legal and moral responsibility to promote equity, inclusion and human rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Let us be clear: Hate has no place in Thames Valley schools or workplaces.
According to Statistics Canada, police-reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation rose nearly 60 per cent between 2019 and 2021.
During the protest, London police had a large presence on scene with roughly 80 officers working to maintain the peace. No reported arrests were made at time of publication.
“We understand the people present may have opposing viewpoints and our officers will enforce the law in a neutral manner,” Const. Matthew Dawson told Global News.
Going back to Kane, she said that “at the end of the day, this is all about the kids and making sure an effective learning environment is provided for all children.”
– with files from Global News’ Jacquelyn LeBel and The Canadian Press.