Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sparked a debate by suggesting that schools should focus on teaching core subjects and leave discussions about LGBTQ issues to parents. Are Schools overstepping their boundaries? Find out more.
Provincial Authority
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre stirred a debate by suggesting that schools should stick to teaching the basics and leave discussions about LGBTQ issues to parents.
This viewpoint emerged as Conservatives prepared for a crucial party policy convention in Quebec City, where the ban on surgeries for transgender children and teenagers was set to be discussed.
Poilievre typically deferred to provincial authorities regarding conversations about gender identity in schools.
During a visit to Moncton, N.B., he accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of overstepping his bounds by involving himself in matters that should be determined by provinces and parents.
This critique coincided with a heated debate in New Brunswick concerning a new policy on gender identity in schools.
Freedom of Religion and Direct Criticism
While speaking at a Pakistan Independence Day celebration in Toronto, Poilievre took a more direct stance.
He emphasized the importance of safeguarding freedom of religion and criticized Trudeau for discussing LGBTQ issues and schools.
Poilievre referred to a video in which Trudeau addressed misinformation about sexual education and suggested that schools should concentrate on core subjects like math, reading, and writing.
Poilievre asserted that parents should have the liberty to instill their values in their children.
LGBTQ Policies in Provincial Schools
The Conservative party was gearing up to debate a proposal that could potentially prohibit individuals under 18 from undergoing “life-altering medical or surgical interventions to change their gender.
Poilievre disclosed that he had not yet thoroughly examined all the proposals up for discussion.
Beyond federal politics, the debate regarding LGBTQ issues in schools extended to provincial policies.
New Brunswick’s Policy 713 mandated parental consent for students under 16 who sought to use a different name or pronouns.
Denied Expressing Their True Selves
While New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs defended this policy as a way to involve parents in their children’s education, Trudeau criticized it, asserting that transgender kids in New Brunswick were being denied the right to express their true selves.
Similar policies requiring parental consent for a preferred name or pronoun changes for students under 16 were being considered in other provinces, such as Saskatchewan.
Additionally, Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives proposed expanding parental rights over their children’s education, potentially including policies related to pronoun usage.
Varied Opinions on Parental Involvement
A poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute revealed diverse opinions on the role of parents in decisions related to gender identity.
While 43% believed parents should be informed and required to provide consent for their child’s identity changes, 35% felt that parents should be informed but not necessarily required to consent. Meanwhile, 14% believed parents should have no role in the decision-making process.
This survey, conducted online between July 26 and 31, involved over 3,000 Canadians and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points for comparison purposes.
One X-er (Twitter) said, “This community needs to leave their agenda at home where it belongs! It is the job of a parent to educate their children about sexuality when they are mature enough to be able to handle those conversations! Not drag queens, not schools or the LGBTQ community!! Leave our kids alone!”
The post “Leave Our Kids Alone!” Gender and Sexuality Conversations: Parents or Schools Leading the Way? first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
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