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B.C. school trustee calls LGBTQ school program 91Ƶweapon of propaganda91Ƶ

Chilliwack91Ƶs Barry Neufeld published the comments on his Facebook page
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A Chilliwack trustee has spoken out publicly against sexual orientation and gender identity policies that are being adopted in schools across B.C. (BCSTA image)

A school trustee in Chilliwack has come out swinging against sexual orientation and gender identity policies.

Barry Neufeld posted a long statement on his publicly-accessible Facebook page, saying 91ƵI can no longer sit on my hands. I have to stand up and be counted.91Ƶ

He called the new efforts by the Ministry of Education to create tolerance for all sexualities 91Ƶthe latest fad91Ƶ that has turned into a 91Ƶweapon of propaganda91Ƶ for gender theories.

91ƵAt the risk of being labelled a bigoted homophobe, I have to say that I support traditional family values and I agree with the College of paediatricians that allowing little children choose to change gender is nothing short of child abuse,91Ƶ he wrote. 91ƵBut now the BC Ministry of Education has embraced the LGBTQ lobby and is forcing this biologically absurd theory on children in our schools.91Ƶ

He ended the post by saying if this is what Canadian values are becoming 91Ƶcount me out,91Ƶ and that he91Ƶd rather live in 91ƵRussia, or Paraguay, which recently had the guts to stand up to these radical cultural nihilists.91Ƶ

Neufeld also posted a meme that compared parents in 1997 and 2017. In the 1997 image, a dad yells at his son that he can91Ƶt get his ears pierced. In the 2017, a mom consoles her son who says 91ƵI think I91Ƶm supposed to be a girl.91Ƶ The mom says 91ƵOkay, sweetie. We91Ƶll start hormone treatment immediately!91Ƶ

The post instantly drew criticism, along with some praise, from others.

Patti Bacchus, a former Vancouver School Board chair, also called for a resignation on Twitter.

Amoung the most notable critics was Morgane Oger, a trans woman who ran for an NDP seat in the last provincial election.

91ƵYou ought to be ashamed of yourself,91Ƶ she scolded. 91ƵGiven your position in leadership, you should know better than to quote a widely discredited pseudo-science source in order to publish hateful material against a minority group. At the very least, consult the credible sources that are widely available to you. The UBC faculty of Nursing has done excellent work on anti-trans bigotry.91Ƶ

She added that there are laws to protect people from the very type of comments he posted, including sections 7(a) and 7(b) of the BC Human Rights Code.

Neufeld91Ƶs post is at odds with a by the B.C. School Trustee91Ƶs Association, which says in part: 91ƵAs stewards of public schools and their students across our province, it is important that we speak out against intolerance and prejudice in any school district or community in British Columbia. 91Ƶ Embedded in that is the responsibility of upholding of each and every student91Ƶs and staff member91Ƶs right to a safe and inclusive environment, where they can express themselves without fear of discrimination or harassment.91Ƶ

The BCSTA contacted The Progress to express that Neufeld91Ƶs opinions are his own, and do not align with that of the BCSTA.

At least one parent asked Neufeld to resign as a trustee in light of the post.

91ƵIs it safe to assume that you are stepping down as Trustee?91Ƶ asked Jared Mumford. 91ƵAnd if so, when will you submit your resignation to the board?91Ƶ

As for the school district, superintendent Evelyn Novak says they will continue working with the board on inclusion. When asked for comment on Neufeld91Ƶs public post, Novak said the board approved changes to policy back in October 2016, regarding safe schools, to follow revised legislative requirements for the BC Charter of Human Rights and Freedom and the BC Human Rights Code.

The regulation statest that: 91ƵSchools are expected to establish a code of conduct that is consistent with board policies and regulations, the BC Charter of Human Rights and Freedom, the BC Human Rights Code and provincial standards. In establishing and maintaining a school code of conduct schools are required to: Communicate in language appropriate for the student audience the prohibitions against discrimination as set out in the BC Human Rights Code (race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and age).91Ƶ

Novak added, 91Ƶfuture discussions with the Board will include SOGI and our continued work on inclusion.91Ƶ

The District91Ƶs Parent Advisory Council91Ƶs chair, Justine Hodge, also noted that the post 91Ƶis in direct contradiction of The Charter of Rights and Freedom, The School Act, The BC School Trustees Association, and his own policy manual.91Ƶ

91ƵHis comments promote the exclusion and isolation of a growing subset of children, including those with same-sex parents,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵThe fact is we have transgender students and staff in our schools and it is his duty to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for all. The Chilliwack District Parent Advisory Council91Ƶs mandate is to represent all parents, including those in same sex marriages or with children who have chosen genders. For that reason, the Chilliwack District Parent Advisory Council does not agree with or condone Mr. Neufeld91Ƶs comments.91Ƶ

The BCSTA, and the Chilliwack School Board Chair have also been contacted for comment on this emerging story.

Neufeld isn91Ƶt a sole voice against SOGI policies. In Surrey, a group called Parents United Canada is filing an 91Ƶurgent91Ƶ human rights complaint after it was told it could not rent the Bell Performing Arts Centre for a rally next month to inform parents about efforts to stop a curriculum program called SOGI 123.

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And in Abbotsford recently, about 150 people attended a meeting to rally opposition to policies meant to make LGBT students feel safe and welcome in Abbotsford schools.

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Barry Neufeld91Ƶs entire statement:

91ƵOkay, so I can no longer sit on my hands. I have to stand up and be counted. A few years ago, the Liberal minister of education instigated a new curriculum supposedly to combat bullying. But it quickly morphed into a weapon of propaganda to infuse every subject matter from K-12 with the latest fad: Gender theory. the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) program instructs children that gender is not biologically determined, but is a social construct. At the risk of being labelled a bigoted homophobe, I have to say that I support traditional family values and I agree with the College of paediatricians that allowing little children choose to change gender is nothing short of child abuse. But now the BC Ministry of Education has embraced the LGBTQ lobby and is forcing this biologically absurd theory on children in our schools. Children are being taught that heterosexual marriage is no longer the norm. Teachers must not refer to 91Ƶboys and girls91Ƶ they are merely students. They cannot refer to mothers and fathers either. (Increasing numbers of children are growing up in homes with same sex parents) If this represents the values of Canadian society, count me out! I belong in a country like Russia, or Paraguay, which recently had the guts to stand up to these radical cultural nihilists. https://c-fam.org/91Ƶ/parents-defeat-gender-ideology-paraguay/91Ƶ



jpeters@theprogress.com

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Jessica Peters

About the Author: Jessica Peters

I began my career in 1999, covering communities across the Fraser Valley ever since.
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