The sign outside St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Secondary School where the concerned parents raised alarm on 'homophobic teachings.' Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – Concerned parents at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Secondary School in Whitehorse are calling attention to a textbook they say is being used in select classes containing homophobic teachings that violate the Department of Education’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policy.
The textbook is entitled, ‘Called to Happiness’ which teaches students ‘guiding ethical principles.’ In a letter, addressed to the CKRW newsroom, the parents state that the textbook teaches that “…any reasonable person should be able to see that homosexuality is against natural law and that being gay is disordered.”
Many of the teachings are found on page 52 of the textbook with subsequent worksheets equating homosexuality with beastiality.
The letter provides the name of a teacher, who they say uses the textbook, but CKRW has decided not to publicly publish their name.
The parents voiced concern that their children have been assigned this textbook and added that they’ve heard of students expressing concerns about the textbook to teachers and counselors with no action taken by the school.
The letter says that students are afraid of academic penalties for coming forward and the parents in the letter remain anonymous because they say they’re “…reluctant to come forward, believing that their kids may receive unwanted attention if they raise the issue of homophobia with the school.”
In a response from the Department of Education, they stated that every student has the right to feel safe, respected, and included regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. They add that Catholic schools have the right to provide religious education but they must align with Yukon’s laws and education policies regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
“There is no place for homophobic or transphobic teachings in our public school system,” said the Department of Education.
The Department confirmed that they are addressing this issue at the school level. More information on the specific actions being taken at the school level is expected early tomorrow.
