Dedicated to Preserving Family Values
P.O. Box 66714, 38 King Street East,
Stoney Creek, ON CANADA L8G 5E6
| Sexual Orientation Equity Policy Aims to Remove Non-Existent Barriers |
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August, 2006 We have recently written to the School Board expressing our rapidly growing alarm at the direction being taken by the Equity Policy Steering Committee addressing Sexual Orientation. This Steering Committee is now considering to allow the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community - without any apparent limitation - to redesign School Board programs and curriculum in order to normalize LGBT conduct in our children's minds. The Committee is entertaining the concept that the LGBT community will choose what goals they want to attain, and will determine themselves when and if these goals are achieved. If this concept goes forward, the children in the School system will be held hostage by the gay and lesbian community's decisions about what kids will learn about homosexuality, and what experiences they will be exposed to in the School system to normalize this objectionable conduct and lifestyle. The School Board's own legal firm has affirmed our right as Christians under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to hold the opinion that homosexuality is objectionable, but the School Board is ignoring us and excluding us in favour of advancing the homosexualist agenda in the schools. We informed Director Spence and the School Board that the Steering Committee has now abdicated a balanced commitment to equity and that the Committee is demonstrating intolerance towards Christian objections to homosexuality in the schools. We have indicated that the Committee and its School Board leadership is clearly biased against our legitimate and legally sanctioned concerns and interests as guaranteed under the Charter of Rights. There is an absence of rational justification in our discussions. Further, we have said we believe that when the full picture is known by the Hamilton community, the community will not support the direction which is currently being taken. At our latest meeting, the Committee was asked to endorse the following policy statement, "The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board acknowledges that there are barriers that may prevent full participation in school-community partnerships by lesbian, gay and bi-sexual communities and other communities who identify themselves on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity." The HWFAC representatives inquired what barriers were being referred to, and were told by the LGBT representative that there were none in particular. No barriers were identified, and none were targeted by the policy. This combination of "carte blanche" for the LGBT community on the redesign of programs and curriculum, accompanied by a complete absence of information about what problems exactly are being addressed, raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the process we are engaged in. A policy which purports to address problems which no one is able to identify cannot be legitimized except on the basis of bias and slanted ideology. It is clear that the LGBT community plans to embark on a campaign to change the minds of kids about homosexuality, rather than address real problems and real situations. The implications of this are simply intolerable, and we have clearly informed the Board of this. This direction is exclusionary and inequitable. The LGBT community will determine its own agenda for our children in the Schools without participation from those such as ourselves who have a direct interest in protecting our kids from the excesses of this agenda. We are a community which objects most strongly to any effort to legitimize homosexual and other such behaviours. Accordingly, we have claimed the right to participate in order to avoid the negative impact of any curriculum or program changes on our children. The School Board is developing a solution without identifying any problem. Nevertheless, we have offered to assist in the development of a program which would aim to eliminate all forms of harassment, abuse or violence against individuals or groups in the School system, including the LGBT community however, we cannot accept changing the beliefs of kids who object to homosexuality. We would wish our children at an appropriate time in their life to understand that such people exist, and expect them to behave civilly and equitably towards them. We believe that this would be the true expression of tolerance and inclusiveness - unlike the current approach. As yet we have had no response from the Board. If the Board continues in its current direction, its efforts to support the rights of one group will inevitably result in its infringing on the rights of another group, namely ourselves as Christians, with strong rights and responsibilities towards our children. We have offered the Board a solution, which is aimed at what we believe is the only focus which they can legitimately address in this field - destructive and harmful harassment, abuse and violence against the LGBT community - not a change of opinion by those who sincerely believe that homosexuality is wrong. We urge you to call Director Chris Spence at 905-527-5092 and let him know of your concerns. We urge you to seek safe haven for your children from the Public School system and to inform your trustee and Dr. Spence that you are doing so. Bob Maton, Ph.D., Policy Consultant |
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