Tension continues in Windsor-Essex schools over policies around gender identity

Pride Month is often associated with celebration, happiness and inclusivity. But for some Windsor parents, it raises continued concerns about what's happening in local schools.

Earlier this month, more than half of the students at some elementary and high schools were absent as a way to protest the Pride flag being raised. Other parents are upset about the Greater Essex County District School Board's (GECDSB) gender expression policy that's been in effect since 2016.

The same policy exists at many other school boards across Ontario. It allows students, at any age, to use a different name, gender or pronouns at school without the need to inform parents.

Elton Robinson started the group Parents for Parents' Rights in September after speaking at a public school board meeting against the gender expression policy. He has three daughters — aged seven, 16 and 18. He said he doesn't want a policy that keeps "secrets" from parents.

"As a parent I would feel betrayed ... We're here and we're not hateful people. We're just concerned parents that are concerned for our children," said Robinson.

Last week, New Brunswick's minister of education changed that province's policy. Now parental consent is required for students under 16 who want to use a different name or pronoun.

CBC News has asked Ontario's minister of education if he's considering similar changes, but a spokesperson has not provided a response.

Robinson is suggesting a third-party educator get involved when a child wishes to change their gender at school. He hopes that will eventually lead to including the parents or guardians in those discussions "to hopefully get that family unit back together."

As a GECDSB trustee and chair of the committee that created the gender expression policy, Sarah Cipkar said she "doesn't see any reason to re-examine it or to change anything."

"What this policy is really designed to do is to protect that student's right to privacy and autonomy, and I'm glad they can have that safe space," said Cikpar.

"If it was my daughter, I would be happy that she had a safe space where she would be able to express her gender, even if that might not include me for a period of time. I hope that it would. I hope to be her parent and her biggest supporter, but at the same time I really just think it's up to the student to make that decision."

Cipkar says she doesn't believe a lot of parents oppose the school board's gender expression policy, but rather a "very loud, vocal minority."

When a student approaches school staff about being referred to be a different name or gender, Cipkar said the policy "doesn't force anything on a student" or encourage them to do anything.

Instead, school administration tells CBC News that policy is pretty simple.

"At the school board, we follow the [Ontario] Human Rights Code and it is against the code to misgender a student," said Josh Canty, GECDSB superintendent of education for student success, alternative education and equity.

"If a student would like to go by a particular pronoun, then we simply call them by that pronoun."

"If the student doesn't want to be outed, it's not our responsibility to out that student. When they're ready to come out in other places, they will if they so choose."

After that disclosure is made, it's largely up to the teacher's judgment and discretion as to the type of conversations that take place. Canty said school administration and other school staff are also looped in.

Canty pointed to resources such as Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), Pride education modules for staff and social workers available for students.

"It's all about just making sure the student feels safe, welcomed in an inclusive environment."

However, GECDSB trustee Linda Qin said said these topics have no place in schools.

"I guess I don't think it's correct to ask the kids, the innocent kids, to learn those kinds of theories before they're fully matured to know, to have judgment about what is correct, what is wrong," said Qin. "We also should respect the LGBTQ group. I also want them to be protected, respected, but we should use a good way to do that."

She said roughly 75 per cent of some schools' student populations were absent on June 2, the day Pride flags were being raised. 

Qin says Northwood Public School had a high absentee rate that day. However, the board wouldn't confirm that, and parents CBC News approached outside the school this week declined to speak publicly.

Campaign Life Coalition organized a national day for students to walk out when Pride flags were being raised. The organization said they are opposed to the flag because they feel it teaches kids the wrong message and even promotes gender transitioning.

At a London high school, the situation intensified when a student is seen on video ripping down the school's Pride flag. Other students are yelling for them to put it in the garbage.

In the U.S., more than 480 bills were introduced in the U.S. this year that affect the rights of LGBTQ people, especially youth, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

New laws passed in Florida last month ban gender-affirming care for minors, restrict pronoun use in schools and force people to use the bathroom corresponding with their sex in some cases.

Windsor Pride Fest president Wendi Nicholson says this all sends a negative message toward the LGBTQ community.

"It's a vicious cycle and it was kind of calming down and everybody was kind of accepting it and not having a problem with it," said Nicholson. "Unfortunately from the States, that seeped over here and it's created all of this hullabaloo."