Hundreds gathered in front of the Saskatchewan legislature to Tuesday to rally against the Saskatchewan Party government’s parental inclusion policy in schools..The gathering happened at noon as MLAs gathered to introduce legislation to require parental consent before students under 16 could have their names and pronouns changed at school. .A chant of “Moe has got to go” began before Kent Peterson, secretary-treasurer of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, took the microphone to launch the event..“Looking out at the depth and diversity of this crowd and the communities you represent, let me just say one thing is abundantly clear. Scott Moe has no idea what he started,” Peterson said..“Because of Scott Moe’s threat to preemptively invoke the notwithstanding clause in order to quell the civil war in his own party, the eyes of the nation are on us. People across Canada are watching what we and what Scott Moe will do next.”.A heckler shouted, “The eyes of God are too!”.Members of CUPE local 882 in Prince Albert, who had been on strike for four weeks, chartered a bus to attend the event. CUPE representatives from BC, Manitoba, and CUPE National were also present, as were people from the Ontario Public Service Union and Patti Coates from the Ontario Federation of Labour..“I know people across Canada are as worried as Saskatchewan people are about what happens if Scott Moe gets away with his desperate and cheap political gambit,” said Peterson..“When you are asked what Saskatchewan people are willing to do to fight against Scott Moe, I want you to tell them you are willing to do whatever it takes!”.NDP opposition leader Carla Beck said she would keep her comments brief, to which a heckler yelled, “Right on!”.Beck said, “We know this is a government that does not take its duty to listen to you seriously. We know this is a government that hasn’t listened to teachers…[or] parents, and they certainly haven’t listened to kids. And that will have to change starting right here and starting right now.”.“We know every single student in Saskatchewan schools should have the opportunity to have an education in a welcoming environment…and that includes trans-kids.”.The opposition leader, who is also the critic for education and labour, read new meaning into the constitution..“Every student in our province has the right to be accepted and valued for who they are. That is what the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states…I barely have the words for a government…that would actively choose to sow division and bring harm to some of our most vulnerable just to distract from their own political failings on so many fronts in this province,” she said..“It’s time for the quiet people to get loud. It’s time for people to have their say, and to show the people of Saskatchewan can no longer be ignored.”.Memphis Hartman, the 17-year-old president of the Queer Straight Association at Regina’s Campbell Collegiate took the microphone. In the audience, a man yelled, “That’s our son, we’re proud of you, kid!”.“All my life, my transness has been as clear as my need for food and water, it’s a basic need, as undeniable as my belonging to this deplorable province. I have dreams of settling down, finding a place for myself, doing remarkable things. And yet instead of reaching those goals, I’m here speaking to you today,” said Hartman..“I’m here to affirm that when I was in elementary school, my teachers did the right thing through supporting me through my transition. They allowed me a space to express myself and to try out new versions of myself before I was ready to take them home for me. And for that I am eternally grateful.”.Hartman made dire predictions of the legislation being introduced..“The bonds between parents will not grow stronger in light of these new rules, but they will falter. Kids will lose their lives, homelessness will be rampant, alcohol and drugs will find new hosts, he said..“The other day I was just doing laundry. What has the Sask Party been doing? They’ve been here adding the notwithstanding clause to these assinine regulations, grasping for dwindling votes and using our children as leverage for their crumbling voter population.”.Jay Skelton, professor of queer studies in education at the University of Regina, described themselves as a parent, an educator and a trans person..“I can tell you that in every way to disclose young people’s trans status to their parents [as a] policy is harmful. As a parent I need to tell you that violating my children’s rights does not enhance my rights,” he said..“As a parent, I want my children to have the most access to caring, supportive adults. Don’t believe that this is about parents. Since this policy was announced in August, I’ve had teachers tell me that they’re scared for their students and scared for their jobs. They don’t know if it’s safe to run a GSA anymore, a place where students have historically tried out new names and pronouns and considered their genders.”.Skelton also shared insights based on his research..“In the faculty of education, I have trans and non-binary students tell me they don’t think there’s room for them in education in Saskatchewan anymore. They’re afraid,” he said..As for trans students, Skelton said, “They want to be affirmed about their names, they want to be affirmed about their pronouns. And rather than less autonomy, they want more.”.Samantha Becotte, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, said she was a mother of nine- and seven-year old girls. She lamented the province had a rise in population growth, yet a reduction in inflation-adjusted per-student spending..“Our education system under this government is quickly turning into one that I do not want to raise my kids in,” she said..“This government has decided to play politics with our classrooms and politics with our classrooms. Our premier admitted he didn’t hear from one parent who was unaware their child had made a change to their preferred pronouns or preferred names.”.Beacott said the provincial government was “drunk with power” and its provincial policy was “problematic” for the harm it would cause to “very vulnerable students.” She said the “supports” the premier and education minister pointed to amidst the policy change have been eroded through years of underfunding..“Teachers will be forced to make an impossible choice. Do you follow the direction of this government or their school division employer, or do you follow the human rights of the child?” she said..“[This is] a Saskatchewan where the government will jump to use the notwithstanding clause for a non-issue to put vulnerable kids at even greater risk makes me wonder which group is going to be under attack next.”.Bea Bruske and Larry Russo of the Canadian Labour Congress spoke last..Bruske mistakenly said, “We vehemently oppose Doug Ford trying to use the notwithstanding clause against kids. We know that this legislation is not in the best interest of children and Moe knows it too.”.Bruske, the CLC president, said Moe was “playing political games with children at the expense of children’s rights, sowing division and risking children’s lives. It is shameful. We care about kids and we care about their well-being, especially trans and queer kids and they are not to be used as pawns in a political agenda.”.Russo said, “I am black and I am gay. I know and I understand what it is to experience discrimination and intolerance and racism and homophobia. And let me tell you something folks, when that kid in that school finds a teacher or a school professional that they open up to, it usually starts with, ‘I think I’m different.’…You know what they say next? ‘Please don’t tell my dad.’”.“This is about the safety of the child. And we know that parents have rights, but the rights of the child to safety will always override the right of the parent to know.”.“And then you have politicians like Scott Moe who want to play political games because they know they’re going to get votes by telling people these [teachers] are going to turn these kids gay..“We’re trade unionists. We know what’s going on. And we’re going to say right now that if there is one child in Saskatchewan whose rights are being trampled upon, we all are going to stand together because it’s going to be all for one and it’s going to be one for all. And we’re going to tell Moe, yeah, you’ve got to go.”.Chants of “love not hate” followed the speeches. A rally in support of Moe began prior to the union rally. A sequel to the million-person march is slated for October 21.
Hundreds gathered in front of the Saskatchewan legislature to Tuesday to rally against the Saskatchewan Party government’s parental inclusion policy in schools..The gathering happened at noon as MLAs gathered to introduce legislation to require parental consent before students under 16 could have their names and pronouns changed at school. .A chant of “Moe has got to go” began before Kent Peterson, secretary-treasurer of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, took the microphone to launch the event..“Looking out at the depth and diversity of this crowd and the communities you represent, let me just say one thing is abundantly clear. Scott Moe has no idea what he started,” Peterson said..“Because of Scott Moe’s threat to preemptively invoke the notwithstanding clause in order to quell the civil war in his own party, the eyes of the nation are on us. People across Canada are watching what we and what Scott Moe will do next.”.A heckler shouted, “The eyes of God are too!”.Members of CUPE local 882 in Prince Albert, who had been on strike for four weeks, chartered a bus to attend the event. CUPE representatives from BC, Manitoba, and CUPE National were also present, as were people from the Ontario Public Service Union and Patti Coates from the Ontario Federation of Labour..“I know people across Canada are as worried as Saskatchewan people are about what happens if Scott Moe gets away with his desperate and cheap political gambit,” said Peterson..“When you are asked what Saskatchewan people are willing to do to fight against Scott Moe, I want you to tell them you are willing to do whatever it takes!”.NDP opposition leader Carla Beck said she would keep her comments brief, to which a heckler yelled, “Right on!”.Beck said, “We know this is a government that does not take its duty to listen to you seriously. We know this is a government that hasn’t listened to teachers…[or] parents, and they certainly haven’t listened to kids. And that will have to change starting right here and starting right now.”.“We know every single student in Saskatchewan schools should have the opportunity to have an education in a welcoming environment…and that includes trans-kids.”.The opposition leader, who is also the critic for education and labour, read new meaning into the constitution..“Every student in our province has the right to be accepted and valued for who they are. That is what the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states…I barely have the words for a government…that would actively choose to sow division and bring harm to some of our most vulnerable just to distract from their own political failings on so many fronts in this province,” she said..“It’s time for the quiet people to get loud. It’s time for people to have their say, and to show the people of Saskatchewan can no longer be ignored.”.Memphis Hartman, the 17-year-old president of the Queer Straight Association at Regina’s Campbell Collegiate took the microphone. In the audience, a man yelled, “That’s our son, we’re proud of you, kid!”.“All my life, my transness has been as clear as my need for food and water, it’s a basic need, as undeniable as my belonging to this deplorable province. I have dreams of settling down, finding a place for myself, doing remarkable things. And yet instead of reaching those goals, I’m here speaking to you today,” said Hartman..“I’m here to affirm that when I was in elementary school, my teachers did the right thing through supporting me through my transition. They allowed me a space to express myself and to try out new versions of myself before I was ready to take them home for me. And for that I am eternally grateful.”.Hartman made dire predictions of the legislation being introduced..“The bonds between parents will not grow stronger in light of these new rules, but they will falter. Kids will lose their lives, homelessness will be rampant, alcohol and drugs will find new hosts, he said..“The other day I was just doing laundry. What has the Sask Party been doing? They’ve been here adding the notwithstanding clause to these assinine regulations, grasping for dwindling votes and using our children as leverage for their crumbling voter population.”.Jay Skelton, professor of queer studies in education at the University of Regina, described themselves as a parent, an educator and a trans person..“I can tell you that in every way to disclose young people’s trans status to their parents [as a] policy is harmful. As a parent I need to tell you that violating my children’s rights does not enhance my rights,” he said..“As a parent, I want my children to have the most access to caring, supportive adults. Don’t believe that this is about parents. Since this policy was announced in August, I’ve had teachers tell me that they’re scared for their students and scared for their jobs. They don’t know if it’s safe to run a GSA anymore, a place where students have historically tried out new names and pronouns and considered their genders.”.Skelton also shared insights based on his research..“In the faculty of education, I have trans and non-binary students tell me they don’t think there’s room for them in education in Saskatchewan anymore. They’re afraid,” he said..As for trans students, Skelton said, “They want to be affirmed about their names, they want to be affirmed about their pronouns. And rather than less autonomy, they want more.”.Samantha Becotte, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, said she was a mother of nine- and seven-year old girls. She lamented the province had a rise in population growth, yet a reduction in inflation-adjusted per-student spending..“Our education system under this government is quickly turning into one that I do not want to raise my kids in,” she said..“This government has decided to play politics with our classrooms and politics with our classrooms. Our premier admitted he didn’t hear from one parent who was unaware their child had made a change to their preferred pronouns or preferred names.”.Beacott said the provincial government was “drunk with power” and its provincial policy was “problematic” for the harm it would cause to “very vulnerable students.” She said the “supports” the premier and education minister pointed to amidst the policy change have been eroded through years of underfunding..“Teachers will be forced to make an impossible choice. Do you follow the direction of this government or their school division employer, or do you follow the human rights of the child?” she said..“[This is] a Saskatchewan where the government will jump to use the notwithstanding clause for a non-issue to put vulnerable kids at even greater risk makes me wonder which group is going to be under attack next.”.Bea Bruske and Larry Russo of the Canadian Labour Congress spoke last..Bruske mistakenly said, “We vehemently oppose Doug Ford trying to use the notwithstanding clause against kids. We know that this legislation is not in the best interest of children and Moe knows it too.”.Bruske, the CLC president, said Moe was “playing political games with children at the expense of children’s rights, sowing division and risking children’s lives. It is shameful. We care about kids and we care about their well-being, especially trans and queer kids and they are not to be used as pawns in a political agenda.”.Russo said, “I am black and I am gay. I know and I understand what it is to experience discrimination and intolerance and racism and homophobia. And let me tell you something folks, when that kid in that school finds a teacher or a school professional that they open up to, it usually starts with, ‘I think I’m different.’…You know what they say next? ‘Please don’t tell my dad.’”.“This is about the safety of the child. And we know that parents have rights, but the rights of the child to safety will always override the right of the parent to know.”.“And then you have politicians like Scott Moe who want to play political games because they know they’re going to get votes by telling people these [teachers] are going to turn these kids gay..“We’re trade unionists. We know what’s going on. And we’re going to say right now that if there is one child in Saskatchewan whose rights are being trampled upon, we all are going to stand together because it’s going to be all for one and it’s going to be one for all. And we’re going to tell Moe, yeah, you’ve got to go.”.Chants of “love not hate” followed the speeches. A rally in support of Moe began prior to the union rally. A sequel to the million-person march is slated for October 21.
