Chilliwack elects transgender man to school board known for anti-SOGI controversy

A transgender man says he is elated to have been elected to the school board in Chilliwack, B.C., where recent trustees have criticized a provincial education resource meant to help create safe environments for all students regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

Teri Westerby, who has lived in the Fraser Valley city for eight years, was one of 15 candidates vying for seven school board trustee seats on Saturday.

He finished fifth with 7,584 votes, ahead of Heather Maahs — who is known for voicing her concerns about how sexuality is taught in the district — and Richard Procee, who ran under the banner of a new political organization seeking more community control of classroom curriculums.

Westerby, who claims to be the first openly trans man elected to a school board in Canada, says his election shows the community is progressing.

"I was mixed between being proud of what we have accomplished in Chilliwack and being proud of what Chilliwack has accomplished for itself, what all of this community has done," he said.

While Maahs and Procee were elected, longtime trustee Barry Neufeld — who has faced criticism and calls to resign in the past for anti-trans comments and for denouncing the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity program (SOGI) in B.C. schools — was not, after finishing in 12th place.

Westerby said talking to people in the community while working with the Gender Support Network in Chilliwack and the Chilliwack Pride Society motivated him to run for school board.

"What I found was that children were crying out for representation and for someone to listen to them and to their families to make sure that the Chilliwack school board has someone who recognizes that every student has human rights," he said.

He said running as an openly LGBT person wasn't easy.

"It really does take a lot of bravery because you … become a target [for] people who don't agree," he said.

Westerby says his campaign signs were vandalized with vulgar graffiti just a few days before election day.

'Overwhelming relief'

Mallory Tomlinson, founder and a director of the Chilliwack Pride Society and a parent, campaigned for Westerby and says she's been battling to have the city's school board be more open and compassionate around gender issues for five years.

"Getting Teri elected … it's a big sense of relief. It brings overwhelming relief. Being able to send my child to school and to know that there is diverse representation on the board … waking up today felt completely different."

Elected to the school board alongside Westerby, Maahs and Procee were Carin Bondar, Willow Reichelt, Margaret Reid and David Swankey, four candidates who Tomlinson recognized as "progressive."

SOGI, which was first introduced to the provincial curriculum in the 2016-17 academic year, has faced criticism from some trustees who claim the materials encourage children to question their identity.

But education experts say the arguments over SOGI are an example of school boards venturing into policy debates that are beyond the scope of their mandates.

"When it comes to SOGI they must implement policies, legislation and regulations that are provincial," said Jason Ellis, an associate professor with UBC's faculty of education.

"They must act in accordance with the wishes of the minister."

Westerby said he has high hopes for the next four years, including bringing more representation and addressing the needs of children from the LGBT community in Chilliwack.