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| Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce |
Let's imagine young Stephen Lecce tells his teacher at his Ontario high school in the 1990s or 2000s that he's gay and suffering from discrimination and bullying. His teacher suggests he tell his parents about it because they may be able to help. But young Mr. Lecce tells the teacher his parents have been saying homophobic things his whole life, and he worries their conservative Catholic upbringing may lead them to reject him as a son.
Young Mr. Lecce then joins his school's straight-gay alliance to find support. But then, the government adopts a policy if teenagers join such clubs in high school, even private high schools, the high school is then legally obliged to inform Lecce's parents about it (unlike any other club the student may join in high school.) The revelation leads to young Mr. Lecce getting into a major fight with his parents who contend he's humiliating their family. The fight becomes violent and young Mr. Lecce is ordered to "straighten up or get out!" The next day young Mr. Lecce leaves home and becomes homeless. What kind of future will he have now?
This scenario is fiction, but sadly rings true to the experiences of many queer youth. Something like it could have even happened to Stephen Lecce, for all I know. (Although Ontario's Catholic high schools including private schools like his St. Michael's College certainly didn't have any gay-straight alliances in the 1990s or 2000s, so not as written above.)
Even so, it's disappointing that Lecce isn't showing more expressed sympathy for the trans youth whose rights and basic safety he is now putting up for debate in Ontario. All of his talk of late has been about parents' rights.
He's wrong. This debate should be about the best interests and safety of the children in our care. Full stop.
The hysteria that is being spread by the conservative right on this issue - like all hysteria spread by the right - is corrosive and will only lead to more pain and violence. And in this case homelessness. And is just being pushed to distract from other issues.
It's shameful and gross. It could lead to the destruction of young lives before they even have a chance to start or to find out who they truly are.
Whatever happened to personal freedom and autonomy? Erring on the side of personal freedom rather than government control? Apparently for conservatives, that policy only applies when you are exactly like them, and the more different you are, the less freedom and autonomy you should have.
Do you agree with them? I sure don't. I wish Stephen Lecce would provide something resembling leadership here rather than the usual, thoughtless, and in his case hypocritical, conservative ideology.
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