Opinion

I am a retired educator from the Brandon School Division. I am saddened and upset to see that the BSD has allowed a delegation to speak about banning books with LGBTQ2S+ content.

I was teaching at a time when there was no support in the form of books or media for our LBGTQ2S+ community. I taught many students who could have benefited from that support to help them understand their gender identity and sexuality.

Our son, who is gay, was one of those in the Brandon School Division and at Brandon University who was having to hide his true identity. How wonderful it would have been for him to have had books to tell him he was not alone — that he was OK! How frightening and isolated it must have been for him and all those other young people!

We have come such a long way from those uninformed days. We have advanced in so many ways — openness, Pride parades, support groups, councillors in schools and community, books and media. We must not allow a few ignorant, discriminatory, hateful people try to change things.

For those people who believe these young people choose this lifestyle, I would ask …

Would you ever CHOOSE to be in a minority group?

Would you ever CHOOSE to be hated and ostracized?

Would you ever CHOOSE to be isolated and excluded?

Would you ever CHOOSE to risk acceptance by friends and family?

Gender identity is NOT a choice — it is who they were from birth.

I affirm and support the LGBTQ2S+ community. They are such a value to our society. They must have the same rights as anyone else.

I definitely think the two trustees who support such bigotry, discrimination and hatefulness should be asked to resign. They are a threat to the education and the rights of all of the children in BSD.

In closing, I want to ask: Why can we not like/love everyone for whom they are?

BEVERLEY RANSON

Brandon