A post uploaded to social media by a local school board trustee has drawn significant backlash.
This comes during Pride Week celebrations across Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo.
On June 14, 2023, Fort McMurray’s Catholic School District (FMCSD) Board Trustee Jonathan Higdon made a post on his Facebook account that Pride YMM has called ‘homophobic’.
In a statement issued June 16, Pride YMM called for Higdon to apologize.
Pride YMM has said many 2SLGBTQIA+ youth live in fear of rejection.
According to the 2019 Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are 14 times more at risk of suicide than heterosexual cisgender youth.
“How anyone can see this data and come to the conclusion that “it’s time to be less tolerant of today’s worldly ideologies” is incomprehensible, as is his claim that his post is not homophobic or disrespectful. It is hypocritical that he states he’s acting in a manner that upholds biblical ideals of the Catholic church, as the Pope has made statements calling for more tolerance and welcoming the 2SLGBTQIA+ community into the church as recently as January.”
The study also found the risk of suicide decreases by 93 per cent with strong family support.
Pride YMM has also offered FMCSD board members an opportunity to receive its inclusivity training.
It’s part of a wider call for the FMCSD to better respond to the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ kids in their schools.
Pride YMM Chair Mitchel Bowers issued a statement at the FMCSD Board of Trustees meeting at Father Mercredi Community High School on June 19, 2023.
“It is unclear if the latest incident which involves the statements of Trustee Higdon are part of the cause for or the result of the continual decrease in support we have witnessed. This is not an isolated incident, and the FMCSD has systematically been reducing supports for the queer youth of which the Fort McMurray Catholic School District Board of Trustees is obligated to protect.”
Bowers said it’s up to the FMCSD to provide a safe and inclusive environment for 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
“There are many queer children within the Catholic school district. Many of them do not have accepting homes and for them school is their escape and safe place. There are also students with queer parents and other queer family members in this district. All these children deserve to feel safe, valid, protected and to see themselves represented within the school community.”
Bowers recounted a recent example of marginalization in schools that occurred two weeks prior.
“The elementary schools were supposed to celebrate Pride Week. At the last minute, that was reduced to a Pride Day. Teachers were banned from decorating their classrooms or dressing up in rainbows. Teachers were given a prescribed lesson plan that reduced the significance of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and instead focused on a broader range of diversity.”
Higdon has addressed his online comments in a statement to CityNews following the June 19 meeting.
“I would like to clarify that none of my posts were intended to inflict hurt on anyone but were posted on my social media pages to support my personal views and how I intend on raising my children. These posts we’re not intentionally directed at any individual group or persons but used as an example that [in] this day [and] age a person cannot express views that contradict what popular culture is pushing on our children without backlash.”
He said he did not remove the posts from social media, but made his personal Facebook private to protect his children.
“This backlash has included death threats, threats against my business and character defamation. I will continue to put my faith in biblical values and beliefs first. As a trustee in a catholic school division we need to be leaning on biblical values and continuing to prioritize faith based education.”
In a joint statement, the FMCSD Board of Trustees said it’s committed to diversity, inclusion and equity within their schools and community.
“Fort McMurray Catholic Board of Education reaffirms we are honored to pastorally serve all persons, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender. All are welcome. All belong. All receive outstanding education offered with respect, compassion and sensitivity.”
It resolved to the following actions:
- We will make appropriate revisions to the Trustee Code of Conduct and specifically include social media guidelines.
- We will work with Pride YMM and other local organizations/stakeholders to reaffirm and build upon our inclusive practices.
- We will work together (and with outside organizations if required) to improve our key competencies in board policies, roles and responsibilities, and governance.
- We appreciate and respect freedom of thought, belief, and expression – we also humbly acknowledge these freedoms are not absolute.
No word if the FMCSD will take up the offer by Pride YMM to take their inclusivity training.
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A full transcript of Mitchel Bowers’ statement to the FMCSD Board of Trustee is available on the Pride YMM website.
