Two teachers with connections to Maple Ridge are voicing their support for the curriculum.
The pair waded into the controversy with a social media posting headlined SOGI Support, addressed to administrators, school board members, teachers, students and allies.
鈥淚n light of some of the hateful commentary and actions surrounding its implementation in BC school districts, we feel compelled to offer our whole-hearted advocacy,鈥� wrote Kathryn Ferguson and Erin Talbot.
鈥淚n short, we will not tread lightly. We will not honour rejections of this initiative. We will not allow hate to weave a web of abuse withing the halls and walls of our public schools.
鈥淭oday, out of respect for brave LGBTQ+ youth, we will stand up for them. We stand with all LGBTQ+ youth. Furthermore, we do so with immense pride.鈥�
The full statement can be found here:
The statement also tells the students of 鈥測ou are not alone.鈥�
Ferguson is a teacher at Thomas Haney Secondary who is off on medical leave, while Talbot is on leave.
The pair were leaders in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows schools, and Talbot was part of the district鈥檚 Safe Caring and Healthy Schools Policy.
Ferguson calls Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows 鈥渢he little district that could鈥� for its progressive attitudes. It also added washrooms at some schools this year.
Ferguson said they collaborated on the SOGI Support statement over the phone.
鈥淚 have never seen hate of this magnitude from any of our districts,鈥� she said. It was breaking my heart. It was breaking both of our hearts, because we鈥檝e seen the amazing results LGBTQ+ events and education can have,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e wanted to put out a call to arms for everyone who is like minded.鈥�
She said the SOGI curriculum is 鈥渇antastic,鈥� and is long overdue.
鈥淭hey kids are always miles ahead of us.鈥�
As a teacher, she said a student鈥檚 face might brighten up just by someone asking questions like what pronoun do they prefer .
鈥淭hey think: 鈥楾hey get me. They respect me,鈥� and it鈥檚 huge.鈥�
Conversely, she said a young LGBTQ+ student who is trying to figure out their identity could find ignorant tweets damaging.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e just 14 you haven鈥檛 built up that armour yet.鈥�
鈥淚 just want to do my part in shutting down this abusive language.鈥�
There have been rallies and expressions of support in and in recently.
