Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) teacher Paolo De Buono said his students are barred from saying there are two genders in his classroom. .“He operates a variety of Twitter accounts, all of which detail his various classroom genderwang diktats,” said Quillette associate editor Jonathan Kay in a tweet. .De Buono said in a tweet from his classroom account the Rainbow Room it is right for his students not to say there are two genders. .“With all the anti-2SLGBTQI+ hate that has been displayed in Ontario, my Gr. 8 students in the Rainbow Room will be told in Week 1 (when we talk about a classroom of no racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.) that [they] are not permitted to say that there are only two genders.” .Kay mocked another tweet from De Buono by saying he was “very proud of his policy.”.This tweet saw De Buono ask if teachers would permit their students to say racist or misogynistic comments in their classrooms. .He said their answer would be no. .“It should be the same with a transphobic statement that there are only two genders or a homophobic statement that non-heterosexual marriages or love are wrong,” he said. .Kay followed up by saying De Buono’s favourite conversation topic is himself. .De Buono said this school year, he “showed visual and meaningful support for trans students in my classroom and school.” .“A special moment was when a student (not in my class), confident in my inclusive kindness, told me privately during recess that they’re transgender and I congratulated them for it,” he said. .De Buono confirmed he runs the Rainbow Room and his personal Twitter accounts. .“Thanks Jonathan for amplifying that I’m doing the right thing in public education in treating gender identity as an important human right for students in their classroom & school,” he said. .De Buono sent an email to a priest in September saying he will be forbidden from speaking about sexual orientation and gender identity to his students. .READ MORE: Ontario Catholic teacher tells priest not to talk to students about sexuality.“When you visit my classroom, you are not permitted to make comments that marriage is only for a male-female couple, that there are only two genders, and that only males can be priests,” he said. .“You are not permitted to make negative comments about the Pride images or the non-cisgender image of Jesus.”
