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Your source for local sports, news, weather and entertainment! >> www.burnabynow.com BURNABY SCHOOL DISTRICT’S NEW GAY-POSITIVE POLICY DRAWS CRITICS AND SUPPORTERS
Going public The Burnaby school board offices have rarely been as busy as they were Tuesday night. Hundreds of parents, students, teachers and concerned citizens showed up brandishing rainbow flags, placards and signs, to offer their input on policy 5.45, a draft policy to support gay and lesbian students in the district. Reporter Alfie Lau and photographer Lisa King were on site for most of the night to chronicle the differing opinions. In today’s paper, you’ll find three stories, one on the students (page 3), one on the parents (below) and one on the trustees (page 4). For a photo gallery of the evening go to www. burnabynow.com.
Lisa King/burnaby now
Signs of the times: Anti 5.45 protesters quietly hold their signs up before Tuesday’s night’s Burnaby school board meeting. Students and
parents each held rallies to get their thoughts known about the district’s proposed policy 5.45.
Parents say issue doesn’t belong in schools Protesters say gay-positive policy violates their parental rights to teach children what’s right and wrong Alfie Lau
staff reporter
Carrying a sign that said ‘We want transparency,’ Long Xue wanted Burnaby school trustees to hear his soft-spoken, but forceful opinion.
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“I need some time to digest this policy,” said the Chaffey Burke parent. “I don’t agree with the policy because it specifies one group out, and I don’t think there’s been any balance at all. … Trustees don’t have an open mind. They’ve only listened to one side.” Xue was referring to the school district’s policy 5.45, a draft policy to support students and employees who are (or are assumed to be) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit or queer (LGBTQ).
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The policy’s objective is to ensure all school community members learn to work together in an atmosphere of respect and safety “free from homophobia, transphobia, anti-gay harassment and exclusion, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Xue said the key issue for him is he believes it’s a moral issue and believes it’s his parental responsibility to teach his own kids what is right and wrong. And while he respects the rights of gays and lesbians, he doesn’t think a public
classroom is the place for his kids to be learning about that. Jennifer Huang is another local parent with serious concerns about the draft policy. She said the proposed policy puts labels on students, and that may cause more harm than good. “When you label them, you’re separating them, and I think that’s wrong,” she said. “What if you started labelling and separating fat and short people? I don’t Parents Page 10
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