Over the Line
What the parents—and the Board for that matter—were not informed of specifically was that a speaker from the Quinte West Mental Health Unit would be invited to discuss her experiences as a homosexual, along with a gay male friend. The speakers addressed the grades seven and eight students, and not having been there, I can’t comment directly on what was said. However, I do have the supplementary resources they had available if students requested them.
One pamphlet entitled "S.A.Y. Out Loud" promoted a weekly youth group where students who are questioning their sexuality can meet with youth in similar situations. The pamphlet listed a phone number students could call to arrange a ride, and websites for more information. Since these websites were considered appropriate for 12- and 13-year-old children, I felt it safe to take a gander, and I publish their web addresses below not to advertise them, but because I believe it’s necessary to do so to fully inform parents what was presented to these pre-teens.
Some websites were harmless enough. Advocatesforyouth.org is a policy discussion site, mostly from a left-wing position. In one place I saw kids advocating legislation limiting families to only one child. One writer from Toronto also wants total "privitization of health care" so that there’s free health care for everyone. She obviously doesn’t know what privatization means, let alone how to spell it, but that’s hardly a punishable offense.
The websites that really concerned me were those dealing specifically with sexuality. YouthResource.com, for instance, is designed for "questioning" youth. All the advice is from gay and lesbian individuals, mostly teenagers, inviting your teens to email them. On a more local note, gayquinte.org is a clearinghouse for information on gay events in the region, such as trips to Casino Rama. It does, however, have forums where gay individuals can arrange to meet one another.
Alterheros.com suggests to kids that if they’re questioning their sexual identity, joining a gay and lesbian association might be helpful. And in the "For Youth" section, I found discussion about many sexual topics, including masturbation, pursuing sex change operations, and meeting prospective partners. The latter was the most alarming. A 15-year-old male student from a Catholic school in Kingston asked how he could meet guys to "experiment with". The moderator suggested he attend the Queen’s University Gay and Lesbian Association, or travel to the Toronto gay community centre. Let me say that again: they were suggesting a high school student meet a sexual partner at places where only adults hang out, and—in the case of Toronto—adults who are likely twice his age.
I still find it difficult to fathom that an individual employed by the Mental Health Unit thought that this was appropriate to give to 12 and 13-year-old students. Forget the homosexuality aspect—this is outrageous regardless. Imagine if a school-sanctioned speaker provided a 13-year-old girl with information on a group where she could talk about her sexuality without her parents, and then pointed her to websites where she can learn about specific sexual acts and about the best places to meet 30-year-old men to experiment sexually with. Would we think this was no big deal?
Back at Pinecrest everyone is still reeling from the assemblies and their repercussions, and there’s a lot of hurt and anger on both sides. The Superintendent of the School Board has assured me that the pamphlet will not be handed out again, and they have no plans to hold similar assemblies in the future. But the question remains: how can this happen at a little country school? And how can we make sure that it remains an isolated incident?
Parents should have the right to determine what sexual information our children receive. This episode, though, shows that even small schools can violate that right without the Board even knowing. We all need to be proactive to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
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