{"id":32877,"date":"2023-04-06T18:59:32","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T22:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=32877"},"modified":"2023-04-14T00:49:03","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T04:49:03","slug":"statements-on-inclusion-and-equity-arent-enough-say-parents-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/statements-on-inclusion-and-equity-arent-enough-say-parents-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Statements on inclusion and equity aren\u2019t enough, say parents, students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As local teacher Dina D\u2019Ascanio Mayr approached the podium at last week\u2019s meeting of the York Catholic School Board, she did not know what kind of reaction she would receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mother of a transgender son, words shared by delegates in the same room on February 28, against the placement of Safe Space stickers featuring an image of the Progress Pride flag, still rang in her ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messages that pushed back against inclusion for all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community left her with a reaction she said was nothing less than \u201cvisceral.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt made me physically ill to know that people think that way and that they claim they are the majority of parents, but I\u2019m a parent and I\u2019m also a teacher with the Board,\u201d she says. \u201cMy voice [at last Tuesday\u2019s meeting] was as a parent, but in the back of my head I\u2019m thinking of my child but I\u2019m also thinking of many students that I teach, that I know who are having a difficult time. My first thought was this can\u2019t be the last word on this, I can\u2019t let that voice be the voice that kids are hearing. They need to hear something else \u2013 and there was a lot I had to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she took her place at the microphone, she says she felt a \u201cbuzz of support and positive energy,\u201d but as soon as she mentioned being the mother of a transgender child, heckles began in the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started to get angry [and thought] you are displaying the essence of the problem here,\u201d she says she thought as she spoke. \u201cYou don\u2019t know me, you don\u2019t know my son, you don\u2019t know what we\u2019ve been through, and you\u2019re judging me because I just said, \u2018transgender.\u2019 You made that judgement and you\u2019re heckling me. I\u2019m an adult, do that to me if you want, I can take it, but they are kids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite some initial boos, by the end of her delegation, applause from fellow parents and stakeholders in the Board room rang out and the YCDSB Board reiterated its position of being a place inclusive to all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week\u2019s meeting of the York Catholic District School Board came on the heels of a session on February 28 in which members of the public reacted strongly to the distribution of Safe Space stickers by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police had to be called to calm the raucous meeting following two delegations, including one by Sherree Di Vittorio who suggested that 2SLGBTQIA+ students not be allowed to attend Catholic School. Following the meeting, and, she claims, losing her job due to her comments, Di Vittorio retracted her comments in a letter to The Auroran, stating she \u201cmisspoke and it was not my intention to suggest that they are unwelcome. I meant to highlight that only Catholic students who share similar values and beliefs are accepted by Catholic school boards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controversy nevertheless continued into last week, with the Board and Director of Education Dominic Scuglia once again stating the YCDSB is an inclusive place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting began with a motion to \u201creaffirm\u201d the Board\u2019s commitment to inclusion and fostering \u201ca safe and caring environment and regrets any statements and the delegations from the public\u2026 that might have contributed to students and staff feeling unsafe at school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Board Chair Frank Alexander said the stickers in question were not submitted to the Board of Trustees prior to their distribution throughout schools, noting that whether or not they were displayed was an operational matter that is ultimately up to the Director of Education and individual teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince the February 28 Board Meeting, there have been a number of questions about the inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ students in Catholic schools,\u201d said Director Scuglia. \u201cThe YCDSB is involved in ongoing conversations with our community partners, but I feel and I must make a public statement tonight. Among the YCDSB\u2019s core values are Catholicity, inclusion, and equity. Those will always be some of our core values because they complement each other. We are all one in Christ. While Pope Francis does remind us that there are two genders, we\u2019re created male and female, he also calls us to love and care for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. There is no \u2018but\u2019 in that statement, there is only an \u2018and\u2019. This is very deliberate language to reflect that the Pope calls us to include all of God\u2019s people into his embrace. The staff of York Catholic District School Board will continue to love, protect and care for all students and staff while sharing Christ\u2019s teachings with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Canadian Mental Health Association tells us that 2SLGBTQIA+ people have higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidality and substance use. An Ontario study showed that 77 per cent of trans youth have seriously considered suicide. For Catholics who believe that every life is sacred, those numbers are unacceptable. I have listened carefully to all the comments that have been made here tonight. I assure you that York Catholic District Scholl Board will continue to provide all our students with a safe learning environment that nurtures their whole person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although D\u2019Ascanio Mayr and students appreciated this reaffirmation, they believe the Board should go further to underscore its commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the initial meeting, YCDSB students in Aurora, Patrick Mikkelsen and Isio Emakpor started a petition calling on the YCDSB, one of the few Catholic Boards of Education that doesn\u2019t, to fly the Progress Pride Flag during June\u2019s Pride Month celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring the 28 February 2023 board meeting, we as Catholics were challenged to question our values following speeches of homophobia, transphobia, and sexism,\u201d say the students in their petition. \u201cAs a result, many students, teachers, and parents have been harmed, and it is the duty of the YCDSB to create a safe and welcoming environment. We thank the OECTA York Catholic Teachers for their support and wholeheartedly support their new \u2018safe schools\u2019 stickers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Catholic Social Teaching of Solidarity enables us to stand with 2SLGBTQ+ students and recognize their hardships. Displaying a pride flag inside schools is not only a method of support but also allows students who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to feel safe and supported in their environment. The Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity also tells us to treat others with said dignity and respect, aligning with what is commonly known as the golden rule. \u2018In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets\u2019 (Matthew 7:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the pride flag represents is undoubtedly something our Catholic community can stand by. It also means something greater. It represents a welcoming sense of safety for our entire student body, including all students. The colours on the flag each represent something different: red represents life, orange represents healing, yellow represents sunlight, green represents nature, blue represents harmony and peace, and violet represents spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As both a parent and an educator, D\u2019Ascanio Mayr agrees with the sentiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe [comments from the Board] were a bit wishy-washy [in that] \u2018We didn\u2019t know about these signs, it wasn\u2019t up to us,\u2019 but I feel they could have taken a stronger stand, like, \u2018We weren\u2019t aware of these signs but we fully support them\u2019 and I didn\u2019t feel that came across strong enough,\u201d she says. \u201cIf they really want to make amends for what happened at [February\u2019s] Board meeting, this would be a great way to do it\u2026. Not just empty words, but, \u2018We\u2019re going to visibly show we support these kids\u2019; let\u2019s put that pride flag up on our flag pole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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