Two groups with very different ideologies held peaceful rallies in downtown Huntsville to try and get their points across.
Members and allies of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community including representatives of the North Simcoe Muskoka & District Labour Council were in front of Town Hall with music and banners demonstrating their support for inclusion in the community. But just down the street, at the corner of Main Street and Brunel Road, another group was demonstrating its support for parental rights and against what they said was the sexualization of children in schools. Members of the group, affiliated with a national organization calling itself 1MillionMarch4Children, said they were not feeling included.
“I miss the old days. I miss the community. I miss when everybody was included. I’m tired of the government overreach. I’m tired of the education overreach over our children and that’s it. That’s the only reason why we are here. There’s no hate. It’s just that we’re trying to make sure that our kids are protected and that they’re not vulnerable to what’s going on in society,” said Jason Wilkin who was at the 1MillionMarch4Children rally with his wife.
Scott Morrison was at the 2SLGBTQIA+ rally at Town Hall. Asked why he was there, he said: “I’m here for a whole pile of reasons. Equal rights is the main thing, and we do know that there are some protests happening across the country under the guise of parental rights but if you really dig in and start reading their messages, it’s basically hate-filled and transphobic, homophobic messages that they’re really trying to accomplish.
“They’re gathering people because who wouldn’t want to get involved in parental rights but the group themselves that are behind it, they do have a bit of hate involved,” said Morrison. “I’m not painting them all with the same brush, I’m not judging anyone and I’m not even judging the bad actors on that side. They believe what they believe for whatever reason. I wish they didn’t, but I can’t control that,” he added.
Morrison said he has family members who are in the LGBTQ community whom he loves dearly and knows first-hand what they’ve dealt with “and I don’t think it’s fair.”
He said the LGBTQ community has made huge strides. “The biggest reason I’m getting into it now is it seems like they’ve made so much progress decade after decade, after decade. They’ve got some of the rights that they never had before and now because of what’s going on down in the states and what’s going on with the far right, it seems like some of their rights are getting clawed back and taken away, so if we don’t stand up now we have a real danger of going backwards,” he said.
Wilkin insisted that in his family there is no hatred. He said he and his wife have daughters in grades 10 and 11. “Throughout their lifetime we’ve always sat at the dinner table and we always encouraged our daughters to talk about things like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of sexuality and freedom of choice. My wife and I, and the community that we belong to, we do not promote hate whatsoever.” Wilkin said he was disturbed when he saw a caricature of a unicorn being used in education material in one of his daughter’s health class. “This is where my wife and I are a little bit frustrated because we’re okay with anybody’s sexuality but my daughter at the age of 15 is not allowed to vote. She’s not allowed to smoke. She’s not allowed to drink. She’s not allowed to drive but if she decides to change her sexuality, the school system will not inform my wife and I of this because they say we don’t have the consent approval to be privileged in that information, and that’s why we’re here,” said Wilkin adding, “My two brothers in law are two wonderful gay human beings and they love us as a family and we love them as a family and that’s what it’s all about. It’s just freedom of choice and we want our children to be safe,” he said. Wilkin also argued that if the safety of a student is in question if their guardians or parents are informed of major changes in school, then additional resources like child services should be brought in, but he said he does not agree with shutting the parents or guardians out. While Wilkin was speaking, someone loudly questioned why the North Simcoe Muskoka & District Labour Council was involved in the dispute.
Doppler reached out to the union via email correspondence. Union President Mike De Rose responded and said “unions have over-arching social justice mandates. The entire principle of unions is that collectively, we can bring about meaningful and important changes that make conditions in our workplaces and our communities better places. When groups, like the ones we saw protest in front of publicly funded schools on September 20th, seek to influence public opinion or public policy in a way that negatively impacts already marginalized groups, we must stand united against such sentiment. For generations, unions have fought for marginalized and under-represented groups to receive fair and equal treatment.”
De Rose stated that the messaging by groups like 1MillionMarch4Children, is “a narrative that is both damaging and untrue being portrayed by some right-wing groups and individuals… [it] suggests that members and allies of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are somehow ‘influencing’ or ‘coaching’ students to identify as Trans, or Gay, or any other sexual or gender identity that is not typical. This rhetoric first implies that people ‘choose’ their orientation and gender, an ideology that has been disproven by virtually all medical and psychological science. Next, this rhetoric implies that it is inherently ‘wrong’ to identify or ally oneself with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Both of these positions underpin a hateful message that says ‘We don’t want our kids to learn about these issues because we don’t want our kids to identify as members of that community.’ If public schools are really meant to be welcoming and inclusive places for all children and their families (and we believe they should be), then we must provide safe spaces for students to express their identities without the risk of negative outcomes for those students.”
When asked whether the union is alienating teachers who agree that parents should be involved in a child’s decision-making, and concerns that the union is turning the dispute into a left versus right-wing political issue and further polarizing people rather than bringing them together, De Rose stated: “Polarization is a dangerous thing indeed, and one that no one in a position of responsibility should take lightly. We believe that it is important to bring people together. That’s why we are advocating for safe and inclusive spaces in our public schools, not places where we ‘out’ kids to their families without their consent. Unfortunately, in this debate there is an either/or preposition which makes polarization more likely: either you get parental consent for students who want to be identified by something different at school or you don’t. This is not about ‘shutting parents out’ or trying to impress upon students’ values that are inconsistent with the home and family. I say that with all sincerity. It is about ensuring the public has accurate information about what is and what is not taught in public schools, the intent behind the procedures and processes for young people who may be in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and ultimately protecting students from potentially fatal outcomes at home in very rare cases.”
De Rose also stated that of course not all people at the rally were from right-wing groups just like all people at their rally are not from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, or from far-left groups. “I am saying that the organizers (nationally) of the September 20th rallies and October 21st rallies do come from the right-wing ideological camps. I do not believe that is controversial nor really disputed. Personally, I believe that there is a large contingent of concerned parents and community members who are misinformed about the current curriculum, the exemption process for their kids during ‘Sex Ed’ classes, and how frequently this is an issue in classrooms (which is not very frequent at all). We don’t disagree that it is ideal for parents to be ‘in the know’ with their own child and their child’s identity and pronoun use. However, that choice to have conversations at home ultimately lies with the child/youth, and if they feel unsafe doing so, that is reason enough to not have it be obligatory/mandated that school staff ‘out’ students to their parents/caregivers.”
De Rose encouraged parents “who have questions about what is taught in schools to look at the Ontario Curriculum which is taught in schools. I think it demystifies what is being taught, and helps reassure parents that what our schools are teaching is consistent with the curriculum, and with recommendations from trusted organizations and affiliations. “
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
Yes, Scott, in my opinion and experiences, we are more the same than different. It is beneficial to all to acknowledge that we have differences and similarities . That is neither good nor bad; it just is. We all need, want, and deserve: love, kindness, a safe place, food, water, security.
Due to our intricate connectivity and interdependency, when ‘I’ suffer; ‘you’ suffer.
Huge thanks to Councillor Scott Morrison for championing a rainbow crosswalk and for being such a vocal proponent of LGBTQIA+ people in Muskoka.
And to all the LGBTQIA+ young people in Muskoka reading this, please know that there are SO many adults – parents, grandparents, educators – who not only support you but CELEBRATE and embrace you for exactly who you are.
I’m so sorry to hear of this Scott. Harassment certainly isn’t something that anyone should have to tolerate in any job and it sounds like you have been more than gracious. It’s also sad that anti-everything convoy freedom muppets have used parental concerns to stir up trouble where none existed. I can’t imagine what hoops teachers have to jump through to explain to parents about the misinformation and hyperbole surrounding this. Education is everything and age doesn’t matter.
Mr. Moulson, I guess I’m not surprised that you chose to come to the Doppler. For a reason that eludes me, you seem intent on giving me a hard time for my views. I thought that I had escaped your harassment when I blocked your email and asked you not to contact me anymore. Your comment here mentions that I attacked you with my vehement defense of the LGBTQ community. And that I labeled you as aggressive. That I even had to defend people in this community to you is unfortunate. And yes, your emails to me were consistent and aggressive.
Your initial email to me contained three questions/concerns about a rainbow crosswalk. I answered those three points honestly. That you didn’t like the answers, has been made clear many times. Feel free to share our entire email thread on this forum. You compared members of the LGBTQ community to terrorists, and you told me that you’ve lost faith in me as a council member because of my support for the LGBTQ community. In three separate emails you called my support for them militant, ardent, and aggressive. I should mention, your hostile views about the LGBTQ community contribute to the reason we need things like rainbow crosswalks.
You said that you would not have voted for me if I had expressed my support for the LGBTQ community during the campaign. I replied to you that, at no point did I say that I was only going to support straight, CIS gender people. I do find it strange that your belief in my abilities would change simply because I support a community that could use some kindness right now.
At every stage, I expressed to you that I respect your right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. I truly believe that these rights should be protected. I just ask you, in turn, respect my beliefs. You were upset when I mentioned that I wasn’t willing to change my mind on my support for the LGBTQ community and the crosswalk. I’m sorry that your judgment wasn’t enough for me to change my views. To do that would go against how I was raised by my family and those close to me. I was raised to have kindness and compassion for all and to be inclusive regardless of someone’s beliefs and who they want to love. I sincerely hope that you can one day find room to offer kindness to the LGBTQ community. It doesn’t mean that you have to accept them, but a little kindness could go a long way.
Despite all of this, I suggested that we should get together and have a coffee. I felt that if we met face to face, we could maybe find some common ground. I then received a very threatening email from you because you felt that I didn’t show up. You were 2 weeks early for the meeting.
I suppose I need to brace myself for 4 years of your harassment. Is this what I signed up for as a public official? It doesn’t feel like this should be part of the position. Maybe you could let me know what your next avenue is for harassment. Do you want my mom’s address so you can let her know how you feel about me? Would you like to come to the arena when my kids are playing hockey so you can let people there know how you feel about me? I am concerned about the direction this is headed.
I would, once again, ask that you leave me alone and let our differences be what they are. Just remember, we are more the same than different.
Have a good weekend Mr. Moulson.
Stanley,
The best defense against this type of silliness is to laugh at it. Had you taken a stick to his noggin, now THAT would have been “aggressive” (not to mention violent and illegal).
One wonders whatever happened to “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me”.? Sounds like his accusation against you, was an attempt to get you to back off of politely and respectfully questioning him. Doesn’t it seem as though a number of “adult” three-year-olds are trying to eliminate any dissent from their exalted opinions? Wouldn’t want to hurt his “feewings” now would we? Whatever happened to our HUMBLE public servants?
“Two groups separated by a common goal,” the safety, health and welfare of children. I voted for Scott Morrison in the last election and when councilor Helena Renwick proposed a rainbow crosswalk, I emailed our town administration with my opposition and councilor Morrison is the only one who attacked me with his vehement defense of the 2SLGBTQ+. When I questioned him about his defense of this group, he didn’t answer me and instead responded by saying there was a lot of support from the community and businesses but when I asked him what percentage of our town population and businesses constituted “A Lot”, he didn’t answer me. When I pressed him as to why he was defending this group so strongly, rather than answer my question he labeled me “Aggressive” and “Judgemental” and told me he would no longer engage with me.
I am not surprised that he has now chosen this moment to openly express in the media, rather than to those who voted for him, that he has close family members who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ because it now furthers his agenda.
I proudly took part in the protest on September 20th where the protesters far outnumbered the anti-protesters. In the article it was mentioned that the anti-protesters outnumbered the protesters, and it was hoped that it was a sign. Mr. Derose of the North Simcoe Muskoka labour council, who organized the anti=protesters, said they were there for “Equal Rights”! What he didn’t mention is that he is paid to organize these anti-protests under the guise of “It’s part of the job”. As for the number of anti-protesters, their number was pretty much the same as September’s protest, however with the labour council involved, it makes me question how many of them actually live in Huntsville.
In closing I would like to say that I don’t think it is appropriate for any member of our town administration to be involved in things where they already have a personal bias. Councilor Morrison has openly stated in the media that his next step will be to fight as hard as possible to take away the rights of parents to know what their children are calling themselves in school. this makes me ashamed that I actually voted for this person. Also, I am perfectly willing to share my email correspondence with Councilor Morrison, with the Doppler and the public to back up what I have said.
Two groups separated by a common goal. The health and welfare of children. I voted for Councilor Scott Morrison and when I wrote to our town administration with my points of opposition to the rainbow crosswalk, he is the only one who attacked me with a vehement defense of the 2SLGBTQZ+. When I questioned him as to why, he labeled me “Aggressive
Dale,
The essence of a free society means that everyone is free to express his/her opinion–whether it is informed by truth or not. There is no such thing as “misinformation”; a statement is either true or it is not true. It is sometimes only partially true (or, indeed, partially false) and, as you have mentioned, one must weigh the evidence supporting its veracity–sorting out what is ersatz after due deliberation. However, there are “official” untruths that even make it into children’s textbooks and we must be free to address them, countering with what we, in good conscience, believe to be true.. To forbid inquiry, saying that we must rely only on the “experts,” is itself an “appeal to authority” and is a logical fallacy. If universally applied, it would amount to censorship of truth and we will be the poorer for it.
“Experts” are fallible and history is replete with examples of their misfeasance (occasionally, even malfeasance). An example of this stultification, would be the case of the young, Dr. Joseph Lister, (born in 1827) who, as a feature of his long career, went on to develop revolutionary methods of sterile surgical technique as well as antiseptic wound care.
Early in his surgical career, Dr. Lister was distressed by the number of post-surgical fatalities due to infection. At the time, most surgeons assumed that there was something in the air that infected wounds and that it couldn’t be helped. Much to our modern horror at the thought, a surgeon might amputate a gangrenous limb and then go right on to perform the odd, difficult delivery of a baby, without washing his hands!
The young Lister was well-versed on the work of Louis Pasteur and his “germ theories” seeking to develop ways of limiting and treating infection. Lister was originally mocked and ridiculed by what was then, the “heavy hitters” of surgery, such as “expert” surgeon and professor, John Hughes Bennett. Bennett claimed that he had “proved” that germs generated spontaneously (in other words, that nothing could be done about post-surgical infection). The prestigious medical journal, The Lancet, subsequently warned the entire medical establishment against employing Lister’s ideas. It was only after Lister demonstrated that his techniques resulted in many fewer post-surgical infections, that other surgeons began to adopt his ideas. Without free inquiry and the free expression of opinion, the exposure of what is false and the adoption of what is true, is hindered or eliminated. This should never be. The truth surely sets us free, just as freedom furthers the cause of truth discovery.
As Mike De Rose said, “Not all people at the rally were from right-wing groups just like all people at their rally are not from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, or from far-left groups. I am saying that the organizers (nationally) of the September 20th rallies and October 21st rallies do come from the right-wing ideological camps.” Judging from the number of ‘off-topic’ signs I’ve seen at recent rallies, I suspect that many well-intentioned parents just don’t know the facts and also seem unaware of how damaging their association with the so-called freedom convoy/anti-vaxxers/conspiracy theorists is to their cause and to society in general.
Messages that attack the integrity and professionalism of teachers, nurses, and doctors can have significant and far-reaching effects on both the public and the professionals who are targeted.
Such attacks erode trust and since trust is a fundamental element in any functional society, when it is damaged, it can lead to widespread skepticism and cynicism about the very institutions and individuals who are crucial for public health, education, and well-being.
Professionals who are falsely accused or discredited may experience a decrease in morale, job satisfaction, and mental well-being. They may become demotivated and less willing to perform their duties to the best of their abilities, knowing that they are at risk of public backlash; plus, it makes it difficult to recruit and retain qualified individuals, which can lead to shortages in essential fields like healthcare and education.
The distrust in expertise can create a vacuum that is filled by misinformation and conspiracy theories. When people lose faith in established experts and institutions, they may turn to alternative sources of information, some of which can be misleading or completely false.
Attacks on professionals can undermine public health efforts and educational systems. In the case of healthcare workers, false accusations may discourage people from seeking necessary medical care or vaccinations, which can have serious public health consequences. In the case of teachers, attacks on their professionalism can hinder effective education and create a divisive environment in schools.
Such actions can and do can contribute to the polarization of society, creating an “us versus them” mentality. This can hinder constructive dialogue and problem-solving, making it more difficult to address important issues.
To address these challenges, it is essential for both the public and the authorities to critically evaluate the evidence behind such accusations, promote open and respectful dialogue, and strongly support the professionals who play crucial roles in public health and education. Rebuilding trust and promoting informed decision-making are essential steps in countering the damaging effects of attacks on the integrity and professionalism of teachers, nurses, and doctors.