Gender identity policy divides crowds outside Windsor school board's first closed meeting

At least 100 people gathered outside Windsor-Essex's public school boardhead office Tuesday eveningin a heated protest opposing or supporting a school board policy on gender identity, and the board's decision to close meetingsto the public.

Last week, the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) announced that attendance would be limited to online only. Trustees say the decision came after comments and hostility from the public created an unsafe environment.

Some attendees outside the GECDSB office Tuesday said they had previously planned to attend the meeting in opposition to the board's gender identity policy, and were gathering outside after the board closed the meeting to in-person attendance.

A second group of LGBTQ community members and allies were outside the meeting in support of the board's policy and LGBTQ students in general.

Security guards were present as crowds outside the meeting grew, closer to 7 p.m.

Elton Robinson is an organizer of Parents for Parents' Rights, a group that has attended board meetings in the past and opposed the policy.

That policyallows students of any age to use different pronouns, name or gender while at school without informingparents.

"I really feel shutting down the public just makes people harden in their stances," Robinson said.

He said the group was first planning to attend the meeting, the last of the school year, in-person. But it decided to protest, he said, when the board closed meeting access last week.

He added that Parents for Parents' Rights does not support hate, but that they want parents involved in the conversation. He says he'd like parental consent to be required for students 16 and younger who want to use a different name or pronoun at school.

Ghofran El-Dari said she has three children in the public school board and opposes teaching children about sexuality in schools.

"Kids should be free and they shouldn't be force fed ideas. They have no idea what it means," El-Dari said. "They don't know what it means to be gay. They don't know what it means to be heterosexual. Everyone has a right to do whatever they want, no problem. Don't force feed it down my throat."

Hedy Halpernwas outside the school board office Tuesday in support of LGBTQ students.

"They're welcome to their beliefs.Iwill never try to change someone," Halpern said. "Iask for the same respect in return and the same respect for our children."

WATCH: Some parents, community want to see the policy change

Some parents, community members say they disagree with the board's gender expression policy

1 year ago

Duration 1:20

People told CBC News that they want the board to open the doors of their meeting to the public and hear their concerns, rather than shutting them out.

One community member, Linda Young, pleaded with parents to let their kids come out to them when they are ready.

"I can't believe at the age of 74 I'mhere doing this again," Young said. "Ithought it was over."

Board reads statement, as delegation condemns meeting by phone

Inside Tuesday's board meeting, board chair Gale Hatfield read a statement released earlier this month by the Ontario Directors of Education.

"The hate and racism displayed in some board rooms comes from those who see efforts to protect human rights as 'woke culture,'" Hatfield read.

"Rarely in the history of public education has there been a need for security guard and police officers tobe in attendance at public meetings to ensure peace and civility during the proceedings."

The statement included comments from a memo sent to school boardsby Minister of Education Stephen Lecce.

In that memo, according to the statement, Lecce said there were increasing levels of bullying, harassment and mental health issues among LGBTQstudents.

Lecce's memo also called for school boards to "redouble their efforts to protect those students and ensure their inclusion within Ontario schools."

"I thought that this message was very appropriateand I'm sure that trustees feel the same about upholding the Ontario Human Rights Code as we move forward in our work," said Hatfield.

While attendance in-person inside the meeting was prohibited, a delegation attended via phone and called the meeting "illegal."

"The decision you made to ban the public is an express violation of your statutory governing authority," said a person identified by board staff as Daniel Ableser, speaking to the board via phone.

WATCH: Some LGBTQ members say the board's policy is essential for youth

LGBTQ community members say the board's gender expression policy is essential for youth

1 year ago

Duration 2:07

Some people told CBC News that they support the policy as it allows kids to come out to their parents when they are ready.

"You have no greater right to decide that you can publish the meeting on YouTube and bar public attendance than you do to decide that you're going to do away with elections entirely and re-elect yourselves based on a Facebook poll."

Trustees have said that the move to ban people from attending the meetings in person is only temporary, as it works to develop a safety plan for trustees and administration.

The board says it will touch on what kind of behaviour won't be tolerated, if someone is asked to leave, who will remove them, and any physical change that can be made to the meeting space.

The board's last meeting of the school year is Tuesday evening and can be streamedonline through the board's YouTube channel.