Dear Editor,
On June 27, parents and students of the community gathered as the board of education prepared to vote on the long-awaited Policy 106 (sexual orientation and gender identity), one that would address the unique challenges and risks faced by the LGBTQ+ students. Selected members of the audience addressed the board, each presenting reasons for and against the policy.
The speaker who struck me the most was one of the many courageous high school students who braved the loud heckling from SOGI opponents. In tears as she spoke before the board, she said she had not yet come out to her family because they were very conservative. She also didn’t feel safe at school, where she was subjected to the constant barrage of homophobic bullying. She asked the board where she could turn if she couldn’t feel safe at home or at school.
Later, the mother of a 16 year-old transgender son who was being teased and harassed by his classmates on a regular basis, expressed her fear for her son’s safety every single day. As a parent, these stories were truly heartbreaking to hear.
Some of the opposition to Policy 106 brought forth several untruths and contemptuous comments towards the LGBTQ+ community. Several argued that there was an agenda to indoctrinate and brainwash children. There was a reference to gender affirmation surgery as “cutting off body parts.” One parent likened LGBTQ+ to a lifestyle, “a trend, like fashion.”
There was a clear lack of understanding of the purpose of the policy (which is not a curriculum as most mistaken it to be), as well as a disturbing level of ignorance and fear of the unfamiliar.
I would hope that as we parents introduce the world to our children, we teach them to be open-minded, sensitive, respectful, compassionate and caring of one another. The opposition to SOGI that night showed that many parents are not setting that example for their children. Despite the progress we seem to have made, I am truly saddened by the level of ignorance still running rampant.
While I’m pleased with the passing of Policy 106, the opinions expressed against the LGBTQ+ community still exist and won’t change overnight.
We clearly have a long way to go towards educating many of the city’s residents on what it means to be respectful and show compassion for one another. We must also remember that in the midst of pushing our own standpoints that it is ultimately the safety of our children that is at stake.
Jason Chu
RICHMOND
