By Thomas Goyer
A Muskoka District councillor has taken aim at the provincial government policy regarding parental knowledge of children’s pronouns while at school.
During Monday’s District Council meeting, Councillor Scott Morrison spoke out against the new provincial policy stating that the policy was bad for the community and that it would cause harm to kids. The comments come in response to Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce’s comments that parents must be informed if a child chooses to change their pronoun while at school. Lecce’s comments followed New Brunswick and Saskatchewan in setting policies mandating that teachers must inform parents if a child chooses to change their pronouns.
Morrison, who stated he was supported by Councillor Brenda Rhodes, commented that children who are coming out must be able to choose how they do so. He stated that if a child’s parents are not aware already there is likely a reason.
“If their parents aren’t aware already there’s a reason that is because it’s not safe for their parents to know,” Morrison said.
Morrison highlighted discussions he has had with James Hunt, the former area director for Youth for Christ in Huntsville. He stated that there are homeless people in the Huntsville area today who are homeless due to telling their parents who they were and wanted to be.
“It’s dangerous. It’s going to hurt our children, our community,” Morrison said.
The statements by Lecce follow legislation in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan that establishes a teacher must inform parents if a child changes their identity at school. While the Ontario legislature has yet to pass legislation on the issue, Morrison believes that it could come to that point.
“And it starts off as a couple of words and then snowballs and snowballs until it becomes legislation,” Morrison said.
Morrison said that he plans to bring the issue forward at the District IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-racism) group in the hope of developing a letter to send to the provincial government expressing the district’s Displeasure with the new policy.
“This isn’t hyperbole, it’s factual that children will die if they’re if this is being forced upon them,” Morrison said.
Morrison stated that he has had conversations with a concerned teacher who claims that it takes months to develop trust with students and to ensure that the classroom is a safe place. According to Morrison the teacher was worried that having to out a child to their parents could negate all the positive work towards making kids feel safe while at school. He also cited the negative response by various stakeholders to the new policy.
“It’s not something that the principals want. It’s not something that the admin wants, it is certainly not something that the students want,” Morrison said.
Morrison encouraged members of council to do research for themselves and to formulate their own opinions on the issue. He plans to bring the issue forward at the IDEA group for discussion later this month.
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I wouldn’t trust any person who says “Don’t tell your parents!” The damage that will be done to our children and our community will be done by our school board and town administrators.
Scott, respectfully, I’m not sure what bringing up thay video from Bill Nye has to do with anything… Bill Nye has a BS in Mechanical Engineering, which hardly question him to speak to anything related to biological issues around human sexuality, and he appears to be parroting the same thing we hear from other voices on this issue – but in the absence of any actual science…
But the issue is far deeper than Bill Nye. Steven has highlighted some of the sordid roots of some of this line of reasoning around gender-flexibility, especially with John Money, who started the mainstream push of gender identity by fraudulently misrepresenting his findings in relation to the subjects of his failed experiments… he was also psychologically unfit to make these assertions, as he had a deep contempt for maleness, evidenced by his writings, which influenced his desire to carry out his experimental theories on actual children, heralded the process as a great success, when the boy who he transitioned to a girl naturally gravitated towards male pursuits and eventually ended up going back to identifying as male… notes and recordings indicate also that his treatment of these children was sexually abusive, yet this man is still hailed as a credit to his profession.
Outside of this is the vast body of scientific evidence gleaned by decades of research by actual doctors and scientists that flies in the face of these ideologically-driven statements. Some of the more high-quality work in this area was done by Ken Zucker in Toronto, who ran the GIC (Gender Identity Clinic) at CAMH from 1975 until 2016 when he was attacked and tarnished by activists with allegations that were later proven false and forced out of that role… but in that time his findings were consistent with the findings of every major Clinic like this around the globe. 80 to 90% of children who present as gender dysphoric, if left to go through puberty uninfluenced by affirming models of care, desist from their dysphoria entirely, and of those children 80% grow up to be gay adults.
How all of these bodies of very detailed research and scientific evidence have been ignored is exactly what Steven was trying to point you towards, but it seems like you’re unwilling to look at what the evidence actually says, and listen to politically driven statements about this. In most discourses on this science has left the building.
This is unfortunate, because it leaves us in a position where well-meaning people who seem to believe that their lives would have been better had they been affirmed earlier in life, are duped into supporting these false ideas by their emotional connection to these notions, as on the surface they appear to make sense, but the evidence suggests otherwise. That’s a tragedy, because not only is it dishonest, but these things rely on emotional manipulation of an already marginalized community, and the well-meaning people who really only want to support them.
What’s worse is that, by its implications, this unfounded approach ends up being anti-gay, as it influences children who would have normally grown up to become healthy, gay adults into pursuing transition instead of “embracing who they are” which is tragically ironic given the stated aims of the proponents of these movements.
Instead of being dismissive, and receferencing a mechanical engineer turned entertainer, it might be wise to look up the history of every name Steven has mentioned to get a more comprehensive view of these issues. It’s encumbent on you to do your homework if your goal is to truly have the interests of the people at the forefront – unless your stance isn’t based on a desire to examine the available evidence, but to reinforce a position based on your own personal values.
I’m not trying to condemn you here, as you’ve been misled – just as most of the teachers that contribute to this are not all intentionally brainwashing your children, but have also not been given the whole picture.a
I don’t envy them, as this are difficult waters to navigate, but please… we’re pleading with you and these teachers to investigate this further so that perhaps you can help be the voice of truth on this very sensitive and debated issue that really has the future of so many of your community’s children in the balance. I’m sure the last thing you would want 10 years from now is for you to look back at the prior decade to realize you’ve contributed to the long-term developmental damage of an unknown number of children.
Thank you for caring. Please do the right thing and dig deeper.
The picture of the protesters on Main Street says in all. It’s a divided issue. Unfortunately.
Sure am glad this wasn’t a prominent problem when I was in school. Teachers taught math and English and art and music. In grade 5 we had a gay teacher, but he was just a teacher and never confronted or counselled anyone. Not sure how it would have turned out if any of us had mentioned such an event to my father or mother. Not well for someone I’m sure.
I wonder too, how in this age of tik tok, facebook, utube, and other such media programs, anything stays secret for long. Ask our premier. Apparently the phrase “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is just a phrase. Darn media.
It must be tough for teachers, but supposedly they are qualified to field the questions, and hopefully supply some answers or direction. I don’t feel that their counsel should negate that of a parent, and I can see the problem of knowing how to deal with that. I’m rootin’ for you.
But Councilor Morrison, you are not a ‘counselor’ as far as I know, and confusing the two, councilor and counselor, could cause a problem. The teacher is authorised to do a job. Concerned citizens …. not so much. Be careful.
And I’m glad that all those old pronouns still work for me.
I can’t for the life of me understand why teachers would be put in such a terrible position. And why the government has any say in this?? Why not send out an anonymous online survey to high school students and asked their thoughts on this matter and why they may choose not to tell their parents or guardians. Can we please support these kids in any way we can and not force them to do something they are not ready to do? Thank you, Scott, for being a voice for those who are not heard!
I read with interest all the above responses and have come to the conclusion – Mr. Ford has created this problem to deflect peoples minds off the debacle that is the Greenbelt. Unfortunately too many people have fallen into his trap.
It seems that there is a misunderstanding or miscommunication. I shall clarify. My comment re tattling was in essence, saying that teachers certainly would not want to be tattling on students to their parents/caregivers whom we KNOW to be (e.g. homophobic). “The consequences could be devastatingly harmful to the student.” COULD be – not WILL be.
Clearly and fortunately, not all of them fall into this category. I do not paint all parents/caregivers with the same brush.
I still maintain that in the best interests of everyone, it seems prudent for such a decision to be discussed amongst parents/caregivers, educators, and counsellors. Lecce is showing his autocratic colours.
Thank you Scott for your intelligent, non-biased point of view.
What truly makes me sad is the way some members of the public express their opinions.
Yelling and screaming, swearing, using racial and homophobic slurs will not garner any respect from those with other beliefs and opinions.
Canada is a country where freedom of speech is celebrated, where we can voice our opinions without ending up in jail, as is the heart breaking reality in countless countries around the world. We all need to cherish and protect this amazing gift our wonderful country offers us.
It is absolutely possible to have an honest conversation in public without becoming verbally and/or physically aggressive.
Yesterday’s situation on Main Street was definitely not a good example for our young people on how to act when having different beliefs.
I can understand through personal experience that students at times feel more comfortable discussing issues with their teachers that they are reluctant to share with their families.
Let them continue to have the freedom to do that.
Steven thanks for your comments. Scott your comments are also based on your beliefs and opinions. Your message to Steven was presented that only your beliefs are based on science. If you want an inclusive discussion you should look at you own writing and be inclusive of those that disagree with you. You were not from my perspective. There are lots of great teachers and parents helping their kids through life which I appreciate. Let’s not assume parents that are not aware of the child’s desire to change pro nouns do not provide a safe haven; each child’s situation is different.
It’s definitely an interesting world. Is it progress or are we truly moving towards more chaos? I feel for today’s youth and the world they deal with. Kids can no longer just be kids. Our youth need support from parents, teachers, community. Unfortunately lots of kids don’t have much help. As a teacher I had many students who needed to just talk. Kids need to trust their teachers. Let’s face it they spend more time at school than home. But I don’t feel it’s the teachers’ job to notify parents on gender issues. We continually muddy the education water with more issues. I realize the wellbeing of our students is a big piece of what teachers do. This one is not on the teachers!
Steven, I’ve never met any teacher that wants to indoctrinate children, not one. Your thoughts are based on your opinions and beliefs and I respect that. My statements are based on facts and science. The statistics are there for everyone to read and the science has proven that gender and sexuality are on a spectrum. In fact, you don’t even seem to realize that gender and sexuality are too very separate things, gender is a social construct.
Check out this video if you want to know a bit about the science behind it all. If after watching this video and others buy Bill Nye, you still don’t see it, then I can’t help you.
https://youtu.be/aQDBNJ3mPa0?si=_EUEWEgSanTrVR3j
Cheers
Thanks for this Scott; you are a valuable voice with a platform that you use responsibly.
Our parents don’t own us; parents are legally responsible for their care, children are not our property. We live in a society, and we belong to each other. That’s why we should all be supporting queer-inclusive, gender-affirming education for kids at every age.
The energy spent in organizing these ‘parental rights’ groups would be better spent in support of more accessible national resources for transgender youth and families. Like all young people, they deserve love and support – even if their desires and dreams for themselves that are different than what those with power over them might imagine.
#1MillionMarch4Children was never really about the kids. It’s an embarrassing, ignorance and control- based, poorly constructed platform for parents that fear losing control in a world that continues to evolve beyond their narrow grasp.
“If their parents aren’t aware already there’s a reason that is because it’s not safe for their parents to know,” Morrison said.”
Define “safe.”
Things aren’t so black and white. Have you considered that maybe some parents aren’t aware because whatever these kids think they are is largely the result of surreptitious brainwashing foisted upon them by their teachers, combined with social media messaging, and other cultural factors (TikTok) that might be influencing them?
Kids hide all sorts of things from their parents, for various reasons, and that might include their teachers telling them to keep quiet so that they can indoctrinate them before their parents find out and it’s too late undo what they’ve been told.
“Morrison highlighted discussions he has had with James Hunt, the former area director for Youth for Christ in Huntsville. He stated that there are homeless people in the Huntsville area today who are homeless due to telling their parents *who they were and wanted to be.”*
The last bit of that paragraph above is an illogical statement. A person either *objectively* is something, or they *want to be* something (subjective). Both can’t be true, in the same way, and at the same time, due to he law of non-contradiction. That being said, no child should be disowned by their parents.
“It’s dangerous. It’s going to hurt our children, our community,” Morrison said.”
No, your way of thinking is dangerous as facilitates the psychological — and inevitable physical — harm of children, given the likely course of bodily butchery that will follow (for some, at least) if their delusions are continually encouraged by nefarious — and in some cases — greatly misled adults, under the guise of compassion and inclusivity.
“This isn’t hyperbole, it’s factual that children will die if they’re if this is being forced upon them,” Morrison said.”
Give me a break! This line is so hackneyed and beyond farce. Not only is what you are claiming emotional blackmail, it is demonstrably false. Why, then, didn’t we see children committing suicide over pronouns prior to the last decade, or so? Because none of this nonsense existed then. This sudden pronoun obsession has been entirely contrived in recent years. It has no bearing in objective reality; it is a fabrication.
No child would even be preoccupied with feelings of anxiety over pronoun usage if this concept wasn’t introduced to them by adults, in the first place. It’s funny how no one over the age of thirty (even younger) struggled with this phenomenon, while growing up. That probably has something to do with the fact that it didn’t exist.
To be clear, suicide for any reason is a horrible tragedy — I lost my best friend to it — but If someone kills themselves over invented pronouns, or “misgendering” then that just underscores how much of a mental illness this is for many, and it reveals their need for deep psychiatric help. Predominately, though, this is an ephemeral social contagion that will pass, and so too will these fleeting feelings that some have, if the adults around them would just leave them alone and let them be kids.
“Morrison encouraged members of council to do research for themselves and to formulate their own opinions on the issue.”
Yes. I would recommend watching investigative journalist, Jennifer Bilek’s video: Who is Behind the Trans Agenda? That would be a good place to start.
I would also encourage others to listen to what historian, Camille Paglia (she is a lesbian and trans), has to say on the matter. Check out her video: Transgender Mania is Sign of Cultural Collapse
One can go further and look up Alfred Kinsey, John Money, and the gay authors, Hunter Madsen and Marshall Kirk (namely their book, After the Ball), to see how they’ve all played pivotal roles in shaping cultural perception regarding sexuality and gender.
In response to Scott Morrison’s comment:
“This needs to be left to the teachers and admin, they know what is best for the kids.”
No, they don’t. Parents know what is best for their own children. Teachers and administrators have no right to meddle in the personal lives of other people’s children. It begs the question: Why are they so obsessed about with other’s kids? One has to be extremely naive to believe that the former’s insistence to supersede the authority of parents is borne out of a spirit of altruism and protection. Only a credulous fool would believe that.
“Lecce and Ford mention that the parents have the right to be involved in this decision, what about the rights of our youth to feel safe, that needs to be number one at all times.”
If you want kids to feel safe, then stop enabling their impressionable minds to be poisoned with propaganda. The human mind is highly malleable and susceptible to suggestion, especially with respect to children who have yet to develop critical thinking skills.
“We aren’t talking surgery here, we’re just talking about the pronouns that a kid wants to use or the name they want to go by.”
Like it won’t lead to surgery, down the road, for many of them. Even if it doesn’t for some, telling them that they can adopt made up pronouns and identify themselves in a way that is contrary to biological reality and reason is utterly odious and beyond the pale. It is teaching them to believe a deliberate lie.
“Are we going to start demanding that straight kids need permission before they can have a nickname?”
Pronouns and nicknames aren’t even remotely analogous. Nicknames are often derived from one’s real name, some personal characteristic, or some inside knowledge/joke understood by family or close friends. Pronouns are objective titles that relate to one’s sex, and realistically that only involves male and female. There are no other categories.
Thank you Kristi and Brenda. It certainly shouldn’t be up to politicians to make such drastic changes to how kids are treated at school. This needs to be left to the teachers and admin, they know what is best for the kids, Lecce does not. The province received a letter from the principals and vice principals across the province condemning the comments, that should be enough right there to stop the conversation. Lecce and Ford mention that the parents have the right to be involved in this decision, what about the rights of our youth to feel safe, that needs to be number one at all times.
We aren’t talking surgery here, we’re just talking about the pronouns that a kid wants to use or the name they want to go by. Are we going to start demanding that straight kids need permission before they can have a nickname?
I’m grateful to live in a time when children’s freedom to explore and express their sexuality is allowed. Thanks for taking a stand so our society doesn’t go backwards.
Gee, whatever happened to putting the best interests of the child first? A school is a safe haven or buffer for some children.
You are correct, Scott Morrison; there is alarming evidence that shows a higher rate of homelessness amongst those who “come out” and, a higher rate of suicide.
I cannot imagine tattling on students to their parent/caregiver whom I know to be (e.g. homophobic). The consequences could be devastatingly harmful to the student. Certainly that student would never again trust teachers.
Lecce is not a parent (that I know of). He’d do well to not follow other provinces’ policies without thoroughly doing research and consulting parents, educators, and counsellors. Perhaps seeking input from students (anonymously) would be prudent. But what do I know? I’m only a parent and a retired teacher.
This seems to happen to many baby boomer atheists. They become captured by this ideology and justify it as a straightforward compassion issue, claiming that kids will die if teachers are not allowed to have private discussions about gender and sexuality with their students. It’s cognitive dissonance; everyone knows it’s creepy, but they are bullied and intimidated into staying quiet