A history thread on Don’t Say Gay in schools. 🏳️🌈🧑🎓
Did you know Alberta had its own “Don’t say Gay” legislation?
When Bill 44 was passed in 2009, it finally wrote sexual orientation into Alberta’s human rights legislation, but…
#ableg #abpoli #abed
Did you know Alberta had its own “Don’t say Gay” legislation?
When Bill 44 was passed in 2009, it finally wrote sexual orientation into Alberta’s human rights legislation, but…
#ableg #abpoli #abed
This was a full 11 years after the Supreme Court of Canada, in Vriend v. Alberta, read sexual orientation into Alberta’s human rights statute.
At the time, Ralph Klein threatened to invoke the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to prevent basic human rights protections.
At the time, Ralph Klein threatened to invoke the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to prevent basic human rights protections.
Meaning gay, lesbian and bisexual people could be fired from their jobs, denied housing, health care, and basic services.
This was all legal before 1998!!
This was all legal before 1998!!
Perhaps, not surprisingly, and in a backhanded move, Bill 44 added parental notification requirements on teaching sexual orientation in all K-12 schools.
This was designed to create a firewall to prevent students from being “exposed to the gay lifestyle”, much like a virus.
This was designed to create a firewall to prevent students from being “exposed to the gay lifestyle”, much like a virus.
Bill 44 was far more reaching and chilling than the “Don’t say Gay” Bill in Florida. It impacted all grades and every school in the province.
No other province or territory in Canada had such legislation.
No other province or territory in Canada had such legislation.
Finally, in 2015, Bill 10 in addition to providing legal support for GSAs, also removed parental notification requirements for “sexual orientation”, but left them in place for religion and sexuality.
Prentice was afraid to go further and remove all restrictions.
Prentice was afraid to go further and remove all restrictions.
This still creates confusion in schools to this very day, as some school leaders still conflate sexual orientation (identity) with sexuality (behaviour) and insist that parents be notified any time LGBTQ2 topics are discussed in schools.
Fun fact: sexuality also includes heterosexuality. So by this same logic, parents should be notified about everything taught in schools that reinforces heterosexual identity. Imagine how many times a day that happens!
Unfortunately, this legislation perpetuates the stereotype that LGBTQ2 people are only seen/defined as (deviant) sexual behaviours.
Now, imagine requiring parental consent to discuss Indigenous topics, race, disability, or gender in schools… there would be a massive outcry.
Now, imagine requiring parental consent to discuss Indigenous topics, race, disability, or gender in schools… there would be a massive outcry.
What message does it send to LGBTQ2 youth when they don’t see themselves, their identities, or communities positively included in their classrooms or school curriculum?
Silence and stigma have lasting and lifelong consequences.
We can easily help break this long held silence!
Silence and stigma have lasting and lifelong consequences.
We can easily help break this long held silence!
Just say Gay. Say Lesbian. Say Bisexual. Say Trans.
Say it loud. Say it proud.
Hate flourishes when ignorance prevails.
Education is the best way to combat discrimination and prejudice.
We need to openly talk about LGBTQ2 issues in schools, in all subjects, & all grades.
Say it loud. Say it proud.
Hate flourishes when ignorance prevails.
Education is the best way to combat discrimination and prejudice.
We need to openly talk about LGBTQ2 issues in schools, in all subjects, & all grades.
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