‘Rally Against Bigotry’: Protesters stand against Greater Saskatoon Catholic School board – Saskatoon | 24CA News

A rally was held exterior the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School (GSCS) board constructing Thursday in response to a leaked e mail instructing lecturers to maintain their college students away from a rainbow tent on the Nutrien Children’s Festival.

Jamey Hughton, participant within the rally and Saskatoon Public School trainer, mentioned the e-mail from the Catholic faculty board was “completely unacceptable”.

“(Young people) have to feel like they are supported, they are wanted, they are part of society, and gay and trans people, lesbian people, 2SLGBTQ+ people are part of society. We have to embrace that and welcome it with open arms,” Hughton mentioned.

Patti Rowley, a retired highschool trainer from Saskatoon, mentioned the e-mail from GSCS marginalizes queer youth.

“Actively excluding part of your community is not only hurtful but harmful and dangerous and I think the apology is just words so let’s take some next step and some actions,” Rowley mentioned.

“Nothing has changed even though they say they are doing more dialoging and next-stepping and everything,” Rowley mentioned. “I’m not sure that is happening this year.”

GSCS director of training Francois Rivard attended the rally and acknowledged that the e-mail had damaged belief between the division and the 2SLGBTQ+ neighborhood.

“There are lots of you that are angry,” Rivard mentioned over shouts from the general public. “I’m looking forward in continuing to meet with people and connect with people and commit to the professional learning of our staff and how to support students.”

During Rivard’s speech, Rowley requested if he was going to retract his assertion and permit the lecturers and college students to go to the rainbow tent, which gained a spherical of applause and cheers from the opposite protesters.

He didn’t say whether or not or not he would retract his assertion, solely that he’s at present attempting to reply to messages he has acquired over the previous couple of days.

“I don’t have another statement at this point,” Rivard mentioned. “We know we are not there yet and need to continue to grow.”

The “Rally Against Bigotry,” in response to a poster on the SURJ YXE Facebook web page, acknowledged, “We stand firmly against any queerphobia/transphobia in our communities and call for the removal of any staff or board members in our publicly funded school systems who hold such discriminatory beliefs.”

At the pageant Thursday, drag performer China White mentioned the festivities are about tradition, acceptance, and love.

“It’s really important for kids at an early age to see differences, be it religion, be it ethnically, culturally, and we are a subset of the community around here and we deserve to be heard and a lot of these kids at an early age need to feel that they have the right to be heard and have a safe place to come,” White mentioned.

White mentioned that acceptance has taken steps backwards as of late.

“Look at the hate that is just spewing lately and it’s coming from south of the border and even in our own country and this isn’t who we are. We have reverted back to what we were when I was fighting years ago… I’ve heard some pretty horrible stuff said to us that I’ve never heard before and they are hiding behind computer screens and phones.”

The GSCS faculty division acquired backlash on social media from mother and father and neighborhood teams after the e-mail was leaked and paint was thrown on the constructing over the weekend.

OUTSaskatoon responded with a community-initiated marketing campaign to ship 100 “Love Thy Neighbour” t-shirts to GSCS.

In anticipation of the rally Thursday, Saskatchewan Minister for Education Dustin Duncan commented on the leaked e mail, saying he supported the divisions determination.

“I don’t think anyone is saying ‘don’t take your children’, I think it’s just a matter that as part of a school trip it just wasn’t something that was being advised and it really does get back to involving parents in terms of the decision of how they engage their own children with some of these topics,” Duncan mentioned.

“They are well within their rights to make this decision, and frankly, I think most parents would agree with ensuring parents are involved in when and where and in what context some of these conversations take place with children.”

GSCS had apologized for the leaked e mail earlier than the rally, with Rivard saying the college division welcomes members of the 2SLGBTQ neighborhood.

“The development of the human person and interpersonal relationships are topics that must involve families. We honour parents and caregivers as first and primary educators of their children. Families who send their children to Catholic schools have a reasonable expectation that the education their children receive is consistent with Catholic teachings and is age-appropriate. Therefore, parents and caregivers are best positioned to decide on their children’s participation in this programming within the festival,” wrote Rivard.

“As a school division, we continue to welcome members of the 2SLGBTQ community. We are committed to true dialogue in order that we may pastorally serve each family based on their unique needs. We strive to build positive relationships with all students. It is not only our imperative as educators, it is our call as Catholics to recognize the inherent, god-given dignity of all persons.”

Kseniah Pidskalny, Pride centre coordinator on the University of Saskatchewan, mentioned college students with out supportive households will usually flip to their faculty for a way of neighborhood.

“To have a school that is supportive is so, so important,” Pidskalny mentioned. “It doesn’t finish in youth. We make it, we survive and it’s so extremely necessary for that to exist particularly amongst the trans neighborhood, it’s so necessary to see that there’s older illustration all through it.

“It’s not just within a small circle, it is so much farther.”

1:47Pride month kicks off with love and inclusivity

The University of Saskatchewan and different colleges across the province raised flags to have a good time the primary day of Pride month Thursday.

“Take June as an opportunity to learn, to watch the community, to take into account, to make space for them,” mentioned Pidskalny.

An inventory of Saskatoon Pride occasions for the month of June might be discovered right here.

— with information from Global News’ Brody Langager