Despite intense efforts by the local pro-family lobby organization, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board in Ontario on June 2 approved a draft equity policy that includes policies, guidelines and practices with respect to “sexual orientation.” These encompass all (legal) sexual orientations and label the normal lifestyle “heterosexism.”
Under the policy, the board pledges to support staff who choose to use learning materials with themes, topics or characters that reflect “the diversity of sexual orientations,” and will encourage students to learn about “heterosexism” and how to challenge “bias and stereotypical assumptions.” (The Canada Family Action Coalition has cited 22 different “sexual orientations”.)
The new policy seeks to identify “barriers” to the full participation of the so-called LGBT community and will redesign curriculums and programs to ensure those barriers are removed. Local homosexual activists have said even if scientific and medical evidence bears negative implications for their “community,” it must be excluded from the classroom.
The Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council (HWFAC) said the policy was approved despite the fact that 86 per cent of public respondents opposed its adoption. Supporting it were organizations such as the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and Health Initiatives for Youth Society of Hamilton (formerly the local Planned Parenthood outlet).
The HWFAC noted that more than 14 other Ontario public school boards have not adopted such “anti-homophobia” policies. The council has been monitoring the local situation since 2002, when the Hamilton board was first given a list of resources designed to “normalize” homosexual and bisexual conduct. At the time, the board assured concerned parties that there was no plan to embed the teaching of homosexuality in its schools, especially among young children. That assurance wore out over time. School board officials now say the policy will (likely) lead to gay-straight alliance clubs, gay pride celebrations, homosexual dances, and pro-homosexual teaching in schools.
Don’t remain silent: object
Undaunted, the HWFAC is encouraging public school parents to contact school board officials, inform other parents, make clear to teachers that sexual orientation is not permissible with their children, and submit a Declaration of Spiritual Values. Ultimately, parents should seek schooling alternatives outside the Hamilton board.
Jim Enos of the HWFAC said his organization’s efforts are in line with the philosophy that Christians must return to the public table and occupy the seats. “If we do not, others will,” he said. (www.hamiltonfamilyaction.org; Family Coalition Party of Ontario newsletter, June 2008).(For the struggle in British Columbia, see “Call to resist ‘gay-friendly’ indoctrination,” Catholic Insight's print edition., May 2008, p. 27)
