6 WEDNESDAY August 8, 2018 • BurnabyNOW
Opinion now OUR VIEW
SOGI materials are about being inclusive
You would think a plan to make our public schools more inclusive and accepting of all people would be something that isn’t controversial. You would be wrong. The SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) education materials introduced by the B.C. Ministry of Education aim to make our public schools a safer place because, according to the provincial government, a whopping 64 per cent of LGTBQ+ students feel unsafe at school. According to the SOGI
123 website, it is less of a curriculum and more of a policy and set of resources, which includes SOGI-inclusive lesson plans meant to make schools inclusive and safe for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. It includes a school code of conduct and information about how to make environments safe and inclusive, and curriculum resources that can be used in lesson plans to further the goals of the overarching policy. Sounds sensible. After all, who wouldn’t support mak-
ing schools a safer place for LGTBQ+ students by trying to tackle homophobia and transphobia? Well, there are some people. Instead of embracing SOGI, which is basically a set of positive goals and resources, some are actually organizing against it. One group, called Culture Guard, described SOGI as a way to “indoctrinate” kids into some sort of sexual deviancy. Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld bizarrely said that allowing children to choose their gender was
“child abuse.” Right here in our own community, a series of antiSOGI events are coming to churches near you. Canadian Council for Faith and FamilyValues, a NewWestminsterand Burnaby-based faith group, has hosted at least three “STOP SOGI 123” events in the Lower Mainland since mid-July. Four meetings are scheduled in NewWest churches over the next two months, and other churches in Burnaby have also expressed interest, according to an event organiz-
er (See the story on page 9). The group says SOGI 123 is a threat to children, parental rights and traditional and Christian values. Imagine thinking that promoting an end to homophobia and transphobia is some sort of threat. It’s 2018, and inclusivity is where our society should be headed. People next door to our community agreed enough with this to stage a counter-protest – or “love rally” – last Thursday when an anti-SOGI event was hosted by a NewWestminster church.
NewWest residents Louise Cournoyer and her son Will attended the rally. Louise said she supports the LGBTQ community and SOGI because she wants children to feel accepted. “It’s so important to protect children who are members of the LGBTQ community and include them, for them to have a voice in the school system,” she said. “By implementing SOGI, changing the way we talk about gender, about sexual orientation, it’s extremely important.” We couldn’t agree more.
INBOX KEITH BALDREY
Horgan beating the NDP curse As the BC NDP glides into its second year of government, it’s worth noting the party has managed to avoid internal disunity and dissension. Credit Premier John Horgan, who has displayed strong leadership.The caucus is clearly supportive, something that has not always been the case when it comes to NDP leaders. Not only has the party matured, but it’s left behind some internal baggage. For example, I remember being asked to attend a retirement dinner for thenAttorney General Colin Gabelmann in 1996. When we politely inquired why such NDP luminaries as Moe Sihota and Glen Clark were not in attendance, we were told that any supporters of former leader Dave Barrett were not welcome. Only those who supported Tom Berger in the 1969 leadership race against Barrett had been invited, even though that contest had been almost 30 years earlier. Talk about long-standing grudges. But those days of bitter rivalries seem to be distant now when you examine the current NDP caucus. For one thing, it’s a fairly young group. Horgan is the eighth NDP leader I have dealt with in my time covering B.C. politics. Five of his predecessors faced serious challenges from caucus members. Bob Skelly was almost deposed by a caucus coup just months before the 1986
election. Mike Harcourt was never really accepted as leader by a number of members of his own cabinet (let alone the caucus) and that lack of support was why no one tried to talk him out of resigning over the Bingogate scandal. Glen Clark was facing mounting caucus criticism even before the whole Casinogate affair began to unravel, ultimately forcing him to resign. His eventual successor, Ujjal Dosanjh, won a divisive leadership race and he remains someone many New Democrats dislike. Then there was the dramatic takedown of Carole James as leader, a bruising public spectacle that has left scars that are only now beginning to heal. But it is hard to envision Horgan facing these kinds of internal challenges. His strong election campaign showing is the major reason the party is in power, and there are absolutely no signs of internal grumbling. To be sure, Horgan has to walk a political tightrope on a number of issues (the Kinder Morgan pipeline, LNG, Site C dam, resource development in general, climate action, ridesharing etc.) that can easily divide his party and his caucus if not handled with care. But one year in and things are looking good on the unity front. For a party with a long history of feasting on its leaders, that bodes well for its future. Keith Baldrey is chief political correspondent for Global BC.
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We are in a church. This is not our first rodeo. Laura-Lynn Tyler Thomson, story page 9
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The Outer Limits reaches limit
A piece of local TV history came to an end in May when the cast and crew of The Outer Limits wrapped up filming for the show’s sixth and final season.The series, a modern revival of the classic 1960s science fiction horror show, launched in 1995. It was among a half dozen local series that sprang up in the wake of the wildly successful X-Files sci-fi series filmed in the Lower Mainland for almost a decade. After the final shoot, The Outer Limits crew were at Bridge Studios selling off costumes, furniture, set decorations and other memorabilia.
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