By Dessa Bayrock (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: November 16, 2011
My first introduction to homophobia was in high school, in grade 10. One of my friends was spat at in the hall. “Faggot,” the jock muttered under his breath, and his friends chuckled. We hurried along, shocked – at least, I was. She was, unfortunately, used to it. She was one of the few open lesbian or gay students, and tough as nails – something, in hindsight, I see was necessary to survive high school.
There’s no reason anybody should have to go through something like that, let alone on a weekly or daily basis. In the last ten years or so, we’ve seen a huge increase in anti-bullying propaganda—posters, slogans, things like pink shirt day—and as a result, bullying has gone way down. It’s no longer socially acceptable to shove a freshman in a locker or a garbage can. Kids stick up for each other. Bullies are turned in.
Unfortunately, “haters gonna hate.” There are some groups—like the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer community—that still have it just as bad as ever. In some cases, it’s worse.
This was the basic thinking behind the Burnaby school board’s policy 5.45, which basically reiterates the guidelines of the anti-bullying policy that’s already in place, but in relation to students and staff who are not, necessarily, heterosexual. There’s a great big long list of what sexual orientations this includes – from transgender to bi-curious. It simply states that these students and employees deserve to be treated with respect and lists some suggestions on what, exactly, this entails.
However, there are many people that don’t agree with the Burnaby school board. One of them sent a death threat (lovingly illustrated with knives) to one of the teachers who is one of the loudest crusaders for policy 5.45. “YOU ARE CORRUPTING OUR CHILDREN,” it says, “AND YOU WILL BE SHOT.”
Again, “haters gonna hate.”
Apparently, this vigilant on guard for the honour of “our children” doesn’t stand behind these statements enough to sign their name. Interestingly enough, however, there are plenty of parents against this policy who are willing to put their names and faces forward, if not quite so vehemently. They have formed a group called Parents’ Voice specifically to overturn policy 5.45 and their stance is an interesting one. They aren’t necessarily anti-gay, they say; in fact, a spokesperson states to the press, Parents’ Voice is against hatred of any kind. They’re simply concerned that if more attention is given towards ending bullying against the queer quadrant, then other victims of bullying will fall by the wayside. Anti-bullying policy, they grandly declare, should be equal for everyone.
This is a nice enough thought, I’m sure. But there is a very important, very subtle difference between treating everyone equally and treating everyone fairly. Let’s put this in another context: if a student is sick, they get kept home from school. I’m sure we all remember whining at our parents how unfair it was when a sick sibling got to skip school and we still had to go. “Nonsense,” our parents inevitably snapped, “When you’re sick, you’ll get to stay home. Now get the fuck to school.” Keeping just the one kid at home isn’t equal, but it is fair; each student gets attention as they require it.
Likewise, policy 5.45 is just trying to put the focus on the kids who need it the most, which, right now, happens to be the gay and lesbian (et al.) community. Again, it’s pretty basic stuff – sticking up for the little guy that can’t stick up for himself.
Now, as for the Parents’ Voice movement, I have no doubt that some of them legitimately have their children’s best interests at heart, and they truly believe that, in terms of bullying, drawing attention to this specific demographic of students is detracting from the anti-bullying campaign as a whole. That being said, I also have no doubt that some of them are purely homophobic – the kind with hatred deep enough to send a death threat to those responsible. I’d even go so far as to say I believe that, if the writer of that death threat is found, it will be in the ranks of Parents’ Voice. Although Parents’ Voice is, as they say, not a homophobic organization, their platform supplies the homophobic sector something to support that stands against the gay community. It’s no longer socially acceptable to openly hate someone based purely on their sexual orientation and Parents’ Voice is the perfect way to avoid saying that, while still getting the same results.
When it comes down to it, anti-anti-homophobia is just plain homophobia, which is just plain hatred. Students aren’t being corrupted; students are being saved. And, as I’m sure the Burnaby teacher would tell you in a heartbeat, some things are worth the risk of being shot. For the record, he is continuing to fight for policy 5.45 unabashed, despite the threat. Haters gonna hate, but that doesn’t mean we should stop loving.
