The SOGI curriculum is here to stay and has the support of the 91原创 Board of Education and the School District Leadership Team, the audience learned at the board of education meeting Tuesday.
Each trustee spoke out in support of the SOGI [Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity] curriculum and said they will stand up for all students, including LGBTQ youth, to ensure a safe and welcoming education environment.
Also, on Tuesday, the B.C. Minister of Education Rob Fleming sent a thanking 91原创 parents for supporting schools that are inclusive and safe. He also thanked the school district for moving forward on SOGI education.
The School District had to provide overflow seating and live stream the meeting to viewers upstairs because supporters of the SOGI 123 curriculum filled the boardroom.
Prior to the board meeting, around 150 parents, grandparents, youth, community members and teachers, along with CUPE school staff rallied with rainbow flags and signs outside the district office.
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Rally organizer and founder of 91原创 Parents for Inclusivity, Stacey Wakelin, spoke as a delegate at the meeting as did two Grade 7 91原创 Fine Arts students who presented a large card signed by dozens of students and teachers at their school who support SOGI curriculum.
While the group opposed to SOGI had originally planned to have a delegate speak at the meeting, the request to appear was withdrawn prior to the meeting. Kari Simpson, co-founder of a group called Culture Guard, has been vocal against SOGI curriculum, equating the teaching of it to 鈥榗hild abuse and indoctrination.鈥�
Simpson had told the Times earlier that she planned to attend and likely speak at the board meeting, but she wasn鈥檛 present.
One dad of a child in kindergarten, who is a youth pastor, asked if the SOGI curriculum is still under discussion or is being rolled out in this year鈥檚 curriculum.
鈥淭he district is not at all considering withdrawing the curriculum. SOGI is one part of a bigger inclusive education that includes discussions around being inclusive in regards to race and disabilities, etc.,鈥� board chair Rob McFarlane said.
But there is room to educate parents about what lessons plans will look like surrounding SOGI education, said McFarlane.
Renge Bailie, district principal of safe schools, said the information delivered to students is age appropriate.
鈥淭eachers would not teach kindergartens sex education,鈥� responded Bailey to concerns from a grandparent and parent about what that age group would learn.
But Bailey did say that kindergarten students often have lots of questions around family dynamics and diversity.
鈥淲e are currently looking at what is the best way to reach all parents, whether it be through our website or should we hold a Q & A meeting about SOGI curriculum. We want to clear up the misinformation that has been spread out there. We are all about education. That鈥檚 why we are here,鈥� she said.
Michael Morgan, district principal for the Aboriginal program in 91原创, was at the meeting to present information about Orange Shirt Day, which honours residential school survivors and those who didn鈥檛 make it home. But he made his own statement about those who rallied in support of inclusiveness.
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鈥淲ith Orange Shirt Day we say, 鈥榚very child matters.鈥� We take them as they are. It鈥檚 not our job to fix them. We are here to find their gifts and nurture those gifts. Let me be very clear in my words. We need inclusion in our curriculum,鈥� Morgan said.
At the end of the Tuesday Board of Education meeting, each trustee addressed the audience, explaining why they stand behind the SOGI 123 curriculum. Each trustee also thanked everyone who rallied.
鈥淔or people to come out and support what this district is doing, it makes me so proud of this community when people stand up for others,鈥� said McFarlane.
Trustee Alison McVeigh said of the 30 years she has lived in 91原创, 鈥淭onight, I have never been more proud to be from 91原创 where its residents accept all its people, where a school district cares about all its students. We are public education and we welcome diversity. A strong message was sent tonight. 91原创 is a welcoming, safe and diverse community.鈥�
Trustee Shelly Coburn said the opposing group who have said that teaching SOGI amounts to child abuse is a 鈥榲ery serious charge.鈥�
鈥淚 can respect a difference of opinion but not when it is willful ignorance and misrepresentation of the fact,鈥� said Coburn.
Trustee Megan Dykeman, whose daughter Mac spoke as a delegate in favour of the SOGI curriculum, said the spreading of factual inaccuracies and misinformation 鈥渕anipulates and misleads the public.
鈥淎nd the statement that homosexuality can be contagious, and that being transgender is a mental illness is dangerous.鈥�
She provided some history of the work that has gone into supporting LGBTQ students in 91原创 and across the province, dating back to 2011.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 say we haven鈥檛 been discussing this; it鈥檚 just that they ignore what they don鈥檛 like,鈥� she said.
Trustee Rosemary Wallace said she is a religious person.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard on me when people use religion to hate on people. My Creator, our Creator says we are one, we need to honour our children and embrace them all,鈥� said Wallace.
Former trustee Cecilia Reekie asked trustees to release a formal statement to the community and to ask the B.C. Trustees Association to do the same, supporting SOGI curriculum.
鈥淲e have to say not in our province, not in our country,鈥� Reekie said in response to the 鈥榟urtful鈥� comments being made against the LGBTQ community who oppose SOGI.
鈥淎s an Indengenous woman, my people went through this,鈥� said Reekie.
It wasn鈥檛 so long ago that Canadian society found it acceptable to take Aboriginal children from their families and place them in residential schools far from home, she pointed out.
鈥淏ut this is 2017, 91原创, B.C. We are having the most absurd conversation. People are bullying and speaking out in hate and judgment. My heart is heavy for our children,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat worries me is 91原创 is the begininng.鈥�
Reekie said she will respect a difference of opinion but will never respect the hatered being spewed over social media against LGBTQ people.
