Ford says Ontario school boards are ‘indoctrinating’ children on gender identity

Premier Doug Ford’s office says his government is not currently exploring any legislative changes to obligate schools to inform parents of how a student identifies.

The response comes after concerns were raised over Ford’s comments during Ford Fest on Friday.

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At least one group is now demanding a meeting with the premier, while others believe this may be a move to distract from the Greenbelt.

Protestors gathered at Premier Ford’s event in Kitchener on Friday. He is still under fire for his controversial plan to build on the Greenbelt. But now there are new concerns over comments made during the appearance.

“Most important is the parents’ rights, the parents’ rights to listen and make sure they are informed when their children make a decision, you know it’s not up to the teachers, it’s not up to the school boards, to indoctrinate our kids…”

“I can’t even figure out what school boards do nowadays by the way…”

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Those comments sparked worries that the province could bring forward policies that would require parents to be informed of their children’s gender identity at school.

The North Bay Pride organization sent a formal letter to Premier Doug Ford requesting a meeting. “It’s not a parental rights issue, and it’s protected under the human rights code, for students to be protected, and not outed by a school or an administrator.”

They say that Ford may put some children at risk who may not have a safe home environment.

On Monday, CHCH News asked the premier’s office if the government intended to pass any legislation obligating schools to inform parents. CHCH News was provided a statement that reads in part, “We’re confident in the existing protocols and are not currently exploring any legislative changes,” and continues to read, “…we expect school boards to be transparent with parents and respect their right to know about life-changing decisions while always ensuring the safety of the child.”

Kiel Hughes of Pride Hamilton is wondering if this is just a distraction to overshadow the Greenbelt controversy. “The province should be focusing on their own scandals and not trying to shift the focus.”

Ontario Green party leader Mike Schreiner agrees, “I think it’s just disgusting that the premier is punching down on trans and non-binary youth to distract from his 8.3 billion dollar Greenbelt scandal. This puts young people at risk.”

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