Parents pushback hard in Western Canada

SOGI 123 and the sexualization of children

By

James Pew

On Sunday I published a piece on Woke Watch Canada called Promoting normativity while discrediting Queer Theory. In that article I discuss the need for the anti-woke movement to be united. The rationale is simple: the woke movement is organized and united, so in order for anti-woke gains to be made, parents and concerned citizens cannot be divided.

Does it matter that some of the Canadian parent groups forming in opposition to woke policies in K-12 education are Christian groups? It makes sense that this is the case. Christian parents are just as outraged at what is going on in schools as liberal minded non-religious parents are. The common purpose is glaringly obvious. However, where the multitude of ideological factions in the woke movement have so far managed to rise above their differences in a forceful and effective show of unity, the question remains unanswered weather the anti-woke movement will proceed haphazardly in a Balkanized fashion, or find the common interest necessary to unite all constituents into a force capable of defeating and dismantling the cancer of social justice activism.

With this in mind, and as part of the Canadian School Board Investigation initiative, I have been looking into and reaching out to organizers of the various parent and concerned citizen groups that are cropping up across the nation in response to wokeism.

So far, various Woke Watch Canada writers, including me, have been mostly focused on the several dysfunctional school boards in Ontario - with the notable exception being the Jim McMurtry file. Today however, I turn my attention to British Columbia, where parents have some serious concerns about that province's commitment to the SOGI 123 program/learning resource.

SOGI, a form of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. It is the flagship program of the ARC Foundation. According to Executive Director Reg Krake, SOGI 123 is “a set of tools and resources to help create safer and more inclusive schools for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. They include policies and procedures, inclusive learning environments, and age-appropriate teaching resources that are aligned to BC’s K-12 curriculum to help educators create a school environment where students feel safe, accepted, respected and welcome.” 

From the SOGI resource website the “three essentials for SOGI-Inclusive schools” are laid out:

1. Policies & Procedures that explicitly reference SOGI have been proven to reduce discrimination, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts for all students.

2. Inclusive Environments. Inclusive learning environments—including SOGI-inclusive signage, word choices, and extra-curricular opportunities—create a positive and welcoming space for all students.

3. Teaching Resources. Lesson plans that teach diversity and respect and include examples of SOGI topics and 2SLGBTQ+ community members reflect the SOGI diversity in students' lives and society. 

The red flags become apparent when you consider that SOGI 123 is designed for K-12 students. The first question I have is why is sexual orientation, sexuality in any form and gender identity something children in grades K-6 are being taught about or exposed to? Why are SOGI 123 approved books which contain age inappropriate sexual content made available to this cohort via school libraries?  There are also many questions concerning the appropriateness of material taught or made accessible to students in grades 7-12 as well.

Action4Canada is a parents group that has been taking the Chilliwack SD33 school board to task over SOGI 123 practices and policies, including the inclusion into school libraries of the sexualized age-inappropriate books mentioned above - many also containing unscientific and confusing falsehoods concerning gender and human biology. From Action4Canada’s website:

“Action4Canada is a grassroots movement reaching out to millions of Canadians and UNITING our voices in opposition to the destructive policies tearing at the fabric of this nation. Through Call To ACTION campaigns, we equip citizens to take action. We are committed to protecting…FAITH, FAMILY and FREEDOM.”

Last month Action4Canada alerted parents and began organizing a response to a situation regarding egregious acts of bullying and undermining of parents during a school board meeting by the Chilliwack SD33 Trustee Chair Willow Reichelt. From Action4Canada:

“At a School Board meeting on Feb. 7, 2023, in Chilliwack BC, the Chair, Willow Reichelt, rudely censored, demeaned and bullied parents, concerned citizens and fellow board members, who were attempting to present information on legitimate matters of great concern. Trustee Reichelt is in breach of her duties according to the Robert’s Rules of Order, the Chilliwack’s SD Policy 130 Trustee Code of Conduct, and the professional standards set for Trustees by the BCSTA. Please contact the School Board and the Superintendent and demand she step down or be removed.”.

Here is a highlight video showing the rude and authoritarian behaviour that Trustee Chair Willow Reichelt directed at other trustees and parents:

PART 1: Trailer School Board Chair: Dictatorship or Democracy? (rumble.com)

Why would a trustee chairperson act this way? Especially considering the serious nature of the concerns brought forward by parents. If, for example, it is true that no books included in school libraries break the criminal code, then why not take the time to go through that code and related policies that have resulted in the inclusion into school libraries of books which parents feel are wildly inappropriate for their children? To dismiss parent concerns with what seems to me the same vindictive arrogance demonstrated by many other woke authoritarian trustees who openly despise and speak down to parents, is an outrageous violation of the norms of decency.

The implication of Reichelt’s behaviour is that parents are not to question the judgment of their betters. From woke trustees, education directors, teachers and superintendents across North America we are seeing a similar level of arrogance and hostility towards parents and rogue trustees who ask difficult questions. Just last week in Arizona a teacher’s insolent outburst at a board meeting was caught on camera. Watch the video as she arrogantly brags about her masters degree and asks “what do the parents have?” See the video below:

Trustee Reichelt seems just as uninterested in hiding her disdain  - usually woke trustees do a bit better of a job concealing their disgust and anger at lowly parents who dare challenge them. But since Reichelt felt it was appropriate to act so terribly towards parents - who have legitimate concerns - Woke Watch Canada asks our readers to join Action4Canada’s campaign to have Reichelt removed from the chair position. In this post readers can find information about emailing the Chilliwack SD33 trustees and superintendents.

One unique approach taken by Action4Canada in dealing with school boards/administration, librarians, teachers, etc. is the use of the Notice of Liability (NOL).  The week before the meeting featuring the tyranny of Trustee Chair Reichelt, Action4Canada served board members with an NOL notifying them of their potential breach of the law. The following is from Action4Canada’s website with respect to Chilliwack SD33 and the serving of each board member with a  SOGI 123 Notice of Liability (NOL):

“The NOL advised them of the risk of liability due to the measurable harm to students as a result of the radical ideological SOGI 123 resource and the criminal code violations associated with the pornographic books. The Board had been well informed and Trustee Reichelt appeared hyper-sensitive about the legalities and unwilling to engage in any rational conversation about the very real risk of being held personally liable. The School Board has the power to pull this resource and they’ve had every opportunity to do so. This meeting provides evidence if and when legal action commences.”

I will have more to say soon about the organizers of Action4Canada and the progress they make in Chilliwack and beyond. There are also some extraordinary outspoken parents in BC that are making an impact as well. In the coming days and weeks expect to see more coverage of the situation in Western Canada and the brave parents and citizens rising up to face it. 

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Thanks for reading. For more from this author read Concerned Father Confronts School Board With Pornographic Images From School's Own Libraries

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