Photo Courtesy / Anna-Maria Kalesoski
Some time in mid-October, I was disgusted to find a Stop Corrupting Children poster plastered on the multi-faith prayer room in UTSC’s student centre. Two days later, the poster was gone.
The poster is part of a campaign initiated by the Institute for Canadian Values (ICV), a Judeo-Christian group that is opposing Ontario’s proposed new sex education curriculum, particularly guidelines published by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
It features a photo of a little girl and reads, “Please! Don’t confuse me. I’m a girl. Don’t teach me to question if I’m a boy, transsexual, transgendered, intersexed or two spirited.”
Yes, you read correctly. Unless transphobia is a national value, I’m not sure how the ICV believes that it represents Canadian values.
The poster in question was also published as an advertisement in the Sept. 24 issue of the National Post, which was a huge blunder coming from one of the country’s most reputed newspapers.
Identifying that the ad “exceeded the boundaries of civil discourse,” the National Post published an apology on Sept. 30. The apology referred specifically to the “manipulative use of a picture of a young girl” and the fact that the campaign directly targets a group of Canadians based on their sexuality.
Let’s look at the bigger picture; this ad is just one part of the ICV’s shoddy campaign.
The curriculum recommendations that the ICV is campaigning against include teaching children about gender and sexual equality in the classroom earlier. Some examples of changes include teaching grade three students about homosexuality and grade seven students about anal and oral sex.
However, cowardly buckling under pressure, in April 2010 Premier Dalton McGuinty said the proposed revisions to the Ontario curriculum need “a serious rethink.” Since then, groups like the ICV have continued to protest against the proposed TDSB’s education curriculum.
Samm Griffin, a fourth-year English student at U of T told me that, like myself, she was “sickened” when she first saw the ICV’s advertisement. How can a campaign that specifically attacks a group of people be allowed to run?
On Sept. 30, the ICV posted a statement on an online Canadian forum saying that they have chosen to retract the Stop Corrupting Children campaign. In it, they acknowledged their “misuse of the terms transgendered, transsexual and intersexed.”
This statement is not accessible on their website, which still features the campaign posters, petitions and news releases about advocacy activity. Why?
Multiple attempts to clarify the status of the campaign were met with no response.
What’s sad is how the organization has completely misconstrued the intention of the curriculum, implying that teaching children about sexual diversity will alter their sexuality. You cannot make a person transgendered. Why should people who don’t understand sexual diversity and equity be allowed to spread such manipulative propaganda about the public school curriculum?
And while freedom of speech is certainly a democratic right, when does it cross the line?
Right about here. To take the photo of a child, put words into his or her mouth and pass it off as part of a campaign is unfair and unethical.
But above all, the insinuation that teaching children about gender identities will “confuse” them is unpalatable.
“Those who speak out against their fellow human beings’ right to [exist] don’t need to be catered to,” said Griffin. “Unpopular an opinion it may be, but an individual’s right to exist in every sphere of Canadian life should come before [the ICV’s] right to religion.”
It’s about time that children learned about the real world around them. It isn’t about “sex ed.” It’s about human rights. And people who are so openly discriminatory against a certain group of people don’t deserve a voice in the discourse about education. Period.
Here’s the thing about sex.ed, yes it teach you about things like STDs, safe sex, different female and male body parts.
But more importantly it teaches you other things as well, it teaches you what counts as a sex act (inappropriate touching, sexual comments) these are things most parents never tell their children. And it’s a shame because many kids are abused and don’t realize it until later in life after they learn these signs.
Then shouldn’t it make sense for kids to learn about these things so they don’t become victims?
A lot of people say that a parent’s role is to protect their children. By not teaching your kids these things parents are actually doing more harm than good.
On another point why was this at UTSC? It really makes me question their ethical and moral code.
The poster definitely wasn’t approved by any authorities at UTSC (which is probably why it was taken down so fast). Someone just put it up without permission.
I was very proud of the editor when I was reading this article the other day. It perfectly represents the average UTSC student’s approach to narrow-minded bigots- simply unacceptable and not tolerated. I’m glad that the student that put it up is attending University- it is obvious that he/she needs an education.
I’d recommend he/she stop by SC:OUT office in the Bladen Wing and pick up some resources on the matter.