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By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: If both sides want to protect kids, why is common ground so hard to find?

Sep 23, 2023 | 8:08 AM

WHEN TWO SIDES square off, as they did on Columbia Street this week, one wonders about common ground.

Sometimes there isn’t any. Sometimes it’s so meagre it does nothing to bring the two sides closer together let alone resolve differences. Whether it’s freedom convoys, anti-vaxxers, the homelessness debate, drug decriminalization or so many other things, the truth (as Oscar Wilde said) is rarely pure and never simple.

So it is with the SOGI issue. SOGI stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. It is not a curriculum, according to official descriptions. “SOGI is a topic that can be addressed throughout many subjects and school activities…. SOGI-inclusive education is about students having conversations about the SOGI diversity in society and the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.”

The protests in many cities this week were against SOGI. Counter-protests were for it. Simple enough. People were exercising their freedom of expression. From there, though, it gets complicated, and I have more questions than answers on where there is or isn’t common ground.

Let’s begin with, why can’t this difference of opinion be debated on merits without accusations about motives? Is it possible there could be common ground upon which to base a conversation?

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The group behind the protest, 1 Million March 4 Children, says this: “Uniting diverse backgrounds and faiths, we share a resolute purpose: advocating for the elimination of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum, pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools.”

But then it says, as its mission statement, “We are brothers + sisters in humanity standing up to free our children from the bondage of indoctrination, breaking the system designed to sexualize our children.”

See what they did there? They went from describing their own objectives to making accusations about the motives of those they disagree with.

What is this “bondage of indoctrination” that is sexualizing our children? In what way does teaching “dignity and respect” when it comes to sexual orientation equate to teaching kids “to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions and beliefs,” to use one definition of indoctrination?

One argument of anti-SOGI protesters is that schools don’t provide parents an opt-out option. Is there anything wrong with discussion on that? Without recriminations by either side?

B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender called the protests “hate-fueled” and stated, “denying the existence of trans and gender diverse people — including calls to erase trans and LGBTQ2SAI+ people from our province’s curricula — is hate.”

Premier David Eby denounced hate, threats and violence toward that community. Who would disagree that advocating hate, threats and violence toward anyone or any group is not acceptable? Is anyone who objects to SOGI automatically guilty of advocating that? Do some? Can a person oppose SOGI without being a hater?

How is objecting to something that’s taught to children necessarily “hate”? How is it denying the existence of trans and gender diverse people? No doubt there are some anti-SOGI people who think we should recognize only two sexes but if we ask those people to go stand somewhere else, is it possible to talk reasonably with the rest?

News media collected some interesting comments from the protests. One anti-SOGI protester was quoted as saying her objection is to “the pornography” that’s being put in schools. So, my question is, what do you consider pornography? Is all sex-education literature pornography? Is it worth talking about definitions?

Art Lucier, minister at the controversial Kelowna-based Harvest Ministries International church, told one rally that elementary classrooms “should focus on teaching math, grammar, science and not confusing children who are going through puberty, who are already confused and feeling weird,” he said.

But at the Kamloops rally, a group from the United Church came to support SOGI. How can Christian values be so in conflict? And what do other religions think of it?

Here’s a question: how did the sexual transitioning of children come into the discussion? What has SOGI got to do with that? Are SOGI teachers being accused of telling children they should change genders? Seriously?

And what has SOGI got to do with COVID vaccines, as some have claimed?

One of the most important points made in these past few days was when someone asked why we can’t have this conversation without moving backwards from all that has been accomplished toward inclusivity.

Anti-SOGI believers think parental rights are being eroded. But a dozen regional Parents Advisory Councils, including Kamloops-Thompson, strongly endorse SOGI. The anti-SOGI people say they’re trying to protect the children. The SOGI people say they’re trying to protect the children.

So why is it so hard to find common ground?

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.