On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered at Queen’s Park in downtown Toronto to protest against 2SLGBTQ+ topics being included in school curriculums, while hundreds of others gathered to counter-protest this movement.
Protesters on both sides congregated earlier this morning before marching to the provincial legislature to begin demonstrating. The rally against the curriculum was organized as part of the “1 Million March 4 Children” protests held across Canada today.
“Uniting diverse backgrounds and faiths, we share a resolute purpose: advocating for the elimination of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum, pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools,” reads a description of the movement on the 1 Million March 4 Children website.
“As a symbol of our commitment, students are encouraged to participate in a nationwide school walkout on that day,” reads the website, adding that marches have been organized in major cities across Canada.
“Together, we stand united to safeguard the well-being and innocence of our children.”
Now Toronto spoke with demonstrators on both sides to inquire about why they’re protesting, and what they hope to accomplish.
“They don’t know English, and they don’t know math. We go to the grocery store all the time and we get the wrong change,” a woman named Gidget said. “They need to learn their grammar and they need to learn math. They don’t need to know what kind of sex they are, the parents teach that.”
“I’m here to support the parents, the grandparents, that don’t want the schools to indoctrinate our children and grandchildren,” shared a woman named Claire.
“I don’t know why all these other groups think there is hate, there is no hate. All we want is the same freedom of speech that they have, and to leave our children to be children. They’re innocent, they don’t have nothing to do with all that garbage that the schools are trying to promote.”
Claire added that when she says garbage, she means lessons pertaining to sexuality.
“The kids are there to learn to read, to write, and to get along with other kids. None of that garbage they’re trying to promote.”
“I see all these signs about ‘We belong to our parents’ and ‘Stop making our kids confused.’ The kids are not confused, the kids know who they are. And if they are trans, let them be trans. Let them go through that journey and let them start the journey when they want to,” shared Roland, who was at the event to counter-protest.
“No parent, no guardian, no adult is going to force that on a child. No one is going to have the child go through this. Being queer, it’s an old rhetoric and I can’t believe we’re still saying it, but it’s not a choice,” he continued, adding that as a gay man, he didn’t choose a life where he would face persecution based on who he loves.
“There’s a sign I saw that said the trans agenda is to live a long life, and that basically means, for those who do not know, that trans kids and trans adults have a higher percentage of suicide, of being murdered. The murder rate of BIPOC trans women in the U.S., in Mexico, is staggering, so why would someone choose to be trans when there are so many people out there who want to harm them.”
“I’m out here because trans kids are important to protect. Because we need to support them, they don’t necessarily have support at home. And I think sex education as a whole is important for all of our population to learn about who they are. To learn about other people [and] to respect them,” shared a counter-protester named Carlisle.
Carlisle continued on to say they believe it’s important for kids to know that there are lots of different pathways in life and there are supports out there for them, if they don’t have them in their own homes and communities.
“I think there is a lot of worry that there is indoctrination, but that’s not the case. We’re just telling people that these are ways that people naturally are. And if you identify as trans there are places where you can go for support and you can talk to teachers, you can have answers, especially if you don’t feel supported at home,” Carlisle continued.
OFFICIALS SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT OF 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
Ahead of the protest, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow took to Twitter to share a message of support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
“We stand against all forms of discrimination, hatred and bigotry, and for the safety and well-being of all young people. Some wish to target our schools and libraries to spread hate. We know these must be spaces that welcome everyone, especially students,” Chow wrote.
“I’ve proudly stood shoulder to shoulder with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities for decades. From the earliest Pride parades, through the AIDS crisis, winning same-sex marriage, and much more. I continue to stand with you today in the face of hate,” Chow continued, followed by a picture of a transgender Pride flag flying outside of Toronto City Hall.
On Tuesday, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) released a statement ahead of the protests, sharing that it stands with the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
“Ahead of these planned demonstrations, we want to make it unequivocally clear that TDSB stands with our trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary students, staff and families, and we support everyone’s human rights and expression of gender,” the statement reads, continuing on to say that harassment, discrimination and hate have no place in the TDSB.
“In our schools, we do not tell students who they should be, but welcome them as they are. We do this by focusing on their academic learning and fostering feelings of belonging as expected in the Ontario curriculum and the Ontario Human Rights Code.”
“In schools, following the [Ontario Human Rights] Code means that every student has the right to a learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or other expressions of hatred — an environment where everyone feels safe to learn, thrive, and be themselves,” the TDSB statement continued.
Now Toronto reached out to Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s office for comment on the protests.
“Irrespective of your faith, heritage, sexual orientation, or colour of skin, our government is firmly committed to the safety and well-being of all children in Ontario schools,” Isha Chaudhuri,
Lecce’s senior communications advisor and press secretarysaid in a statement.
“Our priority is to ensure that we get students back to basics and focus on what matters most — strengthening literacy and STEM in the classroom. Our firm commitment is to continually support the voices of parents across Ontario’s education system, so that their children can graduate with the real-life and job skills they need to succeed.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also shared his support for 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians on Twitter.
“Let me make one thing very clear: Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country – you are valid and you are valued,” the prime minister posted.
