As a national gay group launches a survey of homophobia in our schools.
The University of Winnipeg and Egale Canada have launched Canada's first major national student survey of homophobia in schools.
Pendleton said students too often casually toss around "gay" or "fag" as insults in everyday conversation, and too few teachers or fellow students challenge them.
"There's a lot of change in this country for adults, but not really for kids - they're on the front lines...."
Yet another good reason to stop funding Catholic schools.
The Toronto District Catholic School Board has declined to take part in an online survey about homophobia.
Another rejection letter came from the chair of the Wellington Catholic District School Board in Guelph. Rev. Dennis Noon wrote in capital letters "Not interested thank you."
Noon told CBC News homophobia is not a big issue for his board.
What a PIG. Who cares about his fucking board? What about the kids?
Matt at Queer Liberal has written a good post about how homophobia affected him.
And I have written about Canada's shameful bully problem.
As well as many other posts about how I had to fight my way through school after coming out at the age of twelve. And what a bloody experience it was for me AND the bullies.
But it all amounts to this:
When a school board puts its own hideous hatemongering ideology before the interests of children...they don't deserve to exist.
The government should endorse the survey and force the Catholic school boards to take part.
Or take steps to eventually cut their funding.
The sooner we can drive these religious freaks out of our schools.
The safer Canadian children will be...
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P.S. If you're a bullied kid in one of those Catholic schools...and nobody will do anything about it.
Do as the kid in this video did....and call for help.
Because NOBODY has the right to hurt or frighten you. Or ignore your pain.
Or even worse....like those dreadful Catholic school boards.
Pretend it doesn't exist..
6 comments:
I agree entirely, Simon. The response of these trustees is simply appalling. They seem far more knee-jerk and thoughtless than the Pope on these matters at times. And they're supposed to be public servants, serving a community, local families and students.
In Ontario, we only one real option and that is to simply shut down the separate system and amalgamate it into the public system. That's what the public wants. We just need a leader brave enough to take this on.
p.s. best of luck in the Blog Awards this week. Thanks for the nice comment recently on my blog. Yeah I do agree Slap Upside the Head is the frontrunner, that site is great. I'm happy just to be acknowledged my first year...
It’s true that nothing causes more unreported deaths than the simple refusal of systems of faith to accept what is real in the world. I find nothing harder in the world to understand than a system of faith that causes people to take their own lives at the mere notions of others and brush it off as people who didn’t understand.
Hi Matt!! In a diverse country like Canada secular schools are the only way to go for EVERYONE.The experience of other countries clearly demonstrates that it is the best way of teaching children to respect each other.The problem, as you point out is that it takes brave leaders and MPs to take on religious institutions and right now we don't have any.
Still, despite brief periods of despair, I'm optimistic that we will eventually arrive there because it makes sense...and because our children don't need this bullshit.
As for the Blogging Awards I think you've done exceptionally well in your first year...and the main thing is that all of us are doing our best to give our community a voice in the blogosphere.
And good luck! You never know you might win...and then of course I expect you to say...well of course Simon should have won...but I'll take it ANYWAY!!! :)
Hi Bruce!!! as you know I have lost all patience with organized religion. I recognize how religion can comfort people...but as for denying the existence of homophobia and ignoring the suffering of children...because a crazy Pope has made hating gay people his mission in life...is simply unforgivable. And whatever you think of religion definitely not Christian...
I hope to become a teacher one day and become a person who can help the kids.
:)
Hi Rashid!!!
Hey that's GREAT!!! The most depressing thing about a recent British report is that it revealed that far too many teachers look the other way...and don't do enough to protect bullied gay children.
I know you'd teach those bullies a lesson....even if you had to call Naruto his friend to help you... ;)
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