Who is on your Moral Compass:?
Social Media is full of Buzzz words right now…. “stop bullying” and “end Systemic racism’…. But what exactly does that call for? If we are- Really saying,, “enough is enough” then we need to look at the culture of Systemic Racism and Bullying…. And therefore to inquire, who are the players that need to be signaled out.
For example, in the Southern United States, Confederate statues are coming down. We in Canada need to look at our society also.…We have to look at our Anglo-Christian ideas of Multiculturalism as that is the foundation of the education system. We have to analyse whether this Multiculturalism is discriminatory at it’s very core, and if that is the case, what are we promoting in the Classroom? And therefore what are we enabling our students to become?
This Anglo-Christian Multiculturalism can be seen in the diversity of students Who fill our classrooms. But this diversity is not reflected in the staff nor the administrators of the school. Another example of this Anglo-Christan-Multiculturalism is the allocation of certain months as belonging to certain groups in order to help the marginalized, such as the LGBTQ2S+, . This allocation of special months would be a really worthwhile effort if all the staff were educated in dealing with these issues related to the LGBTQ2S+, but this is not the case.
Imagine what it must feel like to be a student who might not be accepted at home because of their sexual orientation or who might be still struggling as to her or his sexual identity. This is further complicated by having no teacher role models, as School Boards tend to cater to the existing Christian privilege in their hiring practises. This makes it almost impossible for people other than hetrosexuals to get positions in the school system.
Wouldn’t it be great if all publicly funded buildings flew theLGBTQ2S+ flag in solidarity with a group that is staggeringly over represented in mental health issues! as 77% of trans respondents in an Ontario-based survey had seriously considered suicide and 45% had attempted suicide(CMHA,2020),
Shouldn't a public funded institution, that prides itself on being Christian, because of its views on justice and on having a strong moral fibre, show its acceptance to some of the most vulnerable populations they serve?
Further resources:
Peel Board & Toronto Board:
Catholic Board:
Fr. Bryan Massingale
https://jcu.edu/news-center/catholic-social-ethicist-fr-bryan-massingale-speak-jcu-march-10
Catholic Church not so inclusive:
https://www.dw.com/en/catholic-church-rejects-use-of-gender-identity-theory-in-education/a-49131323
Book: Building a bridge: how the Catholic Church and the LGBTQ2S Community can enter into a relationship of respect, compassion and sensitivity.
