There was a protest and a counterprotest this morning across the country including Huntsville High School, Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School.
A group calling itself the 1 Million March 4 Children was advocating for the elimination of sexual orientation and gender identity curriculums in schools in Canada.
In response, the North Simcoe Muskoka District Labour Council organized a Solidarity With 2slgbtqia+ Community Rally.
There was a visible police presence between the two protests.
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I would like to counter Bill and Miranda’s take on the protests. Firstly, the high-school students who walked out, have every right to do so. In fact, walking out of schools is a peaceful way of getting a point across.
The adults they joined were not coaching them out and not influencing them in any way. We all knew when and where we were meeting ahead of time. Their parents were probably very aware.
I’d also like to point out there was more adults on the opposing side with rainbow flags. I understand that lgbt+ kids would be intimated to join them but I want to make something clear.
This 1 Million March 4 Children isn’t about hate towards the lgbt+ community. When you are an adult you can make what ever decision you want. And as a community we have accepted that people can be lgbt+. But- it is not the education systems job to make parental decisions on our children. The parents don’t want boys in girls washrooms, or girls in boys washrooms, trans or not. And sexual preference does not to be taught in classrooms by teachers. Keep your biased views out of schools and be neutral!
Again. There is nothing wrong with being Gay, Lesbian, or Bi. And if schools are worried that this will increase bullying then that’s their job to stop it and educate students on anti-bullying tactics, like we have been taught for many years.
The protest was very peaceful and I hope we continue to show support to keeping our schools neutral.
Jst sad….gay, bi and trans people EXIST in our world, (they always have, do some research).
Theyr your neighbours, relatives, in-laws, friends and cowrkers. I see absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging their existenc in the classroom jst as straightness is acknowledged!
Kids need to learn kindness, inclusion and acceptance. Saying tht they exist is not grooming, its reality.
And the assumption tht anyone whos not straight is a pedophile is outrageous and SO toxic!
The biggest child predator we grew up with is straight, married, has kids and went to our church and he destroyed generations of lives here in huntsville and elsewhere (and becaus non of his victims will come forward hes still at large and living in Burks Falls!). If any law enforcemnt want his name Ill be more thn happy to give it to thm.
I think its pretty obvious that no teacher shld be showing pornography in classes or havng kids read that filth (whether its straight or gay), or having showers with them?! Jesus, thts jst sick and common sense….peopl like tht do NOT represent the gay community!
And to judge an entire community becaus one freak show wears giant fake breasts while teaching his shop class is lunacy (tht guy is obviously mentally ill).
Likewise, any drag queen with ANY sense wld NEVER giv a lapdance to a child! Also completely nuts (and im a huge fan of drag…for ADULTS).
Im really gettng tired of peopl using the few nut jobs out ther to represent an entire community, its not right…..i dont go arnd saying that every pastor/minister/preacher is a child molester becaus theres been some who did tht sick stuff….i dont go arnd saying tht every married guy with kids is a pedophile jst bevaus ive known a few (and quite a few i might add) who hav done thos heinous things!
Put it in perspective people and maybe go hav a coffee with someone in your community whos NOT straight so you can get to kno us bettr, we’re not homogenous, we’r like every other group of people, som of us are kind and bubbly, some of us are cranky jerks, some highly educated, some enjoy the simple things, some have physical jobs, some have office jobs, some are straight laced and enjoy marriage and raising their family, some prefer to be free and date people…we’r regular peopl like you, some of us are parents too who wld never want kids subjected to sexualization.
The stereotypes and assumptions i hear are ridiculous and SO hateful and not reflected in ANY of the LGBTQ2S+ people I spend time with.
Got no time for haters who want to deny that 1000’s of people shld exist, people who live in their own neighbourhoods…makes me SO sad.
Everyone has a right to be WHO they are….and no tht does NOT include pedophiles becaus they HURT INNOCENT CHILDREN, thts criminal and they belong in prison….i dont kno ANY LGBTQ2S+ person who wld EVER stand up for that sick and abusive behaviour.
I took part in the protest and yes there was a police presence. I personally spoke to the OPP liason officers and I would like to point out that the police were NOT between us and the counter protestors, they were there for everyone’s safety.
I’m in agreement with Bill, pulling kids from the school to join the protest was easily the worst part. I feel terrible for all the vulnerable ones, suddenly made very aware of who exactly they need to worry about going forward. School is hard enough without an experience like that.
There’s more to it, though. I remember being that age and having bored impulsive friends who would take any reason to skip class, especially if given ‘permission’ by a group of adults. These kids got to stand around for a while, feeling cool and rebellious, before marching downtown to shout and be obnoxious in front of friends and strangers, all the while encouraged by the adults behind them and passersby honking in support. Sounds like a great time at that age, if you’re not really thinking about why you’re there.
And what happens next? Some of these kids will move on without another thought, memories of a weird and exciting morning that will surely make some of them cringe, someday, looking back. But the rest of them? Seeds of hate planted in their brains, to be tended by the adults who called them out that morning, and others like them. Interesting behaviour, that, coming from people who are so very against the ‘indoctrination’ of kids.
In regards to the protests yesterday, I have a problem with the protesters ( against sexual orientation and gender identity curriculums in schools) setting up in the parking lot in front of the school and recruiting students to walk out of class yesterday morning at 9:30am and join a march of adults, thereby creating a riff between those students who walked those who didn’t. From what I’m seeing in the news, this was not a tactic used anywhere else but in Huntsville.
This protest and counter protest is just an example of the inappropriate ciriculum that is being imposed by the Ford Government. Ministry education guidelines should be written to reflect the diversity of all children and the needs of parents in their education.
As a victim of sexual exploitation and assault the damage that can be swept under the rug for decades becomes apparent in life and life paths. I applaud the efforts but I believe they are misguided.
Exposure to such materials and people should not be included in classroom lessons. While students must be fostered in tolerances teachers must respect the boundaries of their position. Teachers should never shower with their students, touch or coirse those they have control over. Confusion in identity begins at school and fostering an inclusive environment where all children and students are equal must be preserved.