Pride - In The Name of Love

As June begins I thought it would be appropriate to have a discussion about the pride flag being flown at Ontario schools.

Recently, I opined publicly that the Canadian flag should be the only flag flown at schools as it should represent all of us. It is our symbol of unity, pride and progress. 

That opinion, however, was liked and commented on by people who were not sharing my enthusiasm for the maple leaf, but liked the exclusion of anything pride. Their derogatory, inflammatory rhetoric made me realize we have not progressed  as far as I had thought or hoped. The importance of the Pride movement hit me more this year than any other. Some comments did give me pause though, to wonder if progressive voices were losing the room. 

Even my own support of progressive causes and awareness campaigns is not absolute or without hesitation,  I’ve tried not to become numb to the constant awareness campaigns being pushed at schools for a variety of worthy causes and movements. I do believe that the constant pressure to raise the virtue signal stakes has reached a breaking point for some.  It threatens at the very least to stall progress and at worst - push us backward. The recent decision by the York Catholic Board to not fly the pride flag gets the attention, but the anger of those who spoke out against it should be the concern. Where does that anger come from? 

Too many days students in class are being told to feel guilty about something. Once one marginalized group has a moment another group wants theirs. My original point with the flag was are we going to fly others - for fairness we should. It seems we spend more time pointing out division rather than celebrating what unites. 

We’ve always had a few days at school for important causes and moments, but now a few days, have become many and weeks have turned into months. 

My own kids and students in public schools have expressed cause fatigue. I have heard many other parents, and yes some from marginalized communities say the same.  You now need a rainbow of t-shirts to signify something during the week. 

Many of the movements ask students to

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