Protests and Counter-protests: What’s Going on?
Written by Lou Smith
Thumbnail & Header Photo by Denin Lawley on Unsplash
Recently, throughout Canada, and even within Halifax, rallies and counter-protests have taken place regarding LGBTQ+ education and laws within school systems.
To begin, it’s no secret that regulations regarding LGBTQ+ individuals have always been poorly protected and considered debatable to the public. Human rights have an unfortunate history of being a topic of discussion and leverage for politicians. However, in the past few years, these laws and rules in place to protect LGBTQ+ people have been turning over and debated more and more.
The 1 Million March for Children organization has planned and executed several protests in favour of “protecting the children.” How are they protecting the children, you ask? Maybe it’s something like paid lunches so no kids go hungry? Perhaps it’s helping low-income families with bills, clothing, and even tuition fees, or maybe it’s advocating for better gun laws in America to help put an end to shootings and child victims worldwide?
All of these answers are wrong. This organized group is actively protesting against LGBTQ+ identities being taught in school, and they’re advocating for teachers and peers to have the right to out other students’ gender identities regardless of their situation at home.
Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds like putting children in danger more than protecting them.
Personally, LGBTQ+ education improved my self-understanding and made my experience in school much more manageable. Children like myself are born to explore who they are and frequently indulge in new things to explore their identity. Some things will stick, and some won’t.
The first day I heard the word “gay” used in school was as an insult against a boy in second grade for wearing pink. I felt terrible for him but didn’t know what the word meant. That situation formed a negative connotation in my mind. The school eventually heard of this and, in response, hosted a tolerance assembly. There was no brainwashing, no forcing of identities, just promoting the acceptance of anyone different than yourself. Even if you don’t understand someone’s identity or actions, you can still respect them.
When I was in sixth grade, our teacher explained the different sexualities. I know, it’s so shocking. These terms and labels lit up my mind; I’d always known I never liked boys, but being able to find a label and see myself within it and finally having a word to describe what I’d been trying to express for years, was euphoric.
The laws being advocated for by the 1 Million March for Children include but are not limited to:
Forcing teachers to report to parents when/if another name or pronouns are used for a student,
Forcing teachers to receive parents’ consent before using different names and pronouns,
And removing LGBTQ+ history and education about these identities from the education curriculum.
(Source: The OneMillionMarchForChildren, I am choosing not to add a hyperlink for this source, as I believe the fewer clicks and attention this group receives directly, the better.)
In response to the protests, Premier Tim Houston posted the following message on X, also known as Twitter:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had also tweeted:
Aside from these statements, no government protections for the rights of trans people have been issued. This is important to remember, because the government can say they support LGBTQ+ rights all they want, but it’s their actions and what they allow to occur which shows what they truly care about.
I thoroughly believe that if children are exposed to these topics earlier in life- topics that are difficult for some adults to comprehend- then they are more likely to be accepting and understanding later.
So, how can you help to protect these bills and laws from being overturned? On September 20th, there was the first (to my knowledge) march within Nova Scotia executed for this cause. Unfortunately, until bills are put in place to protect trans children, we will continue to see future protests similar to this. There are currently many individuals who have come together, have counter-protested the 1 Million March for Children by peacefully protesting throughout Halifax. A few communities have come together and written supportive messages for LGBTQ+ children in chalk on the ground on the route which the 1 Million March for Children will be protesting.
Other ways you can help are by supporting local queer-owned businesses to maintain safe spaces for queer kids, taking part in the counter-protests, signing petitions, and writing to your local community and provincial representatives to advocate for trans and queer children’s necessary and life-changing education.
It’s important to note that if you do take part in a counter-protest, consider wearing a face covering, covering any tattoos, and protecting your identity if you are worried about feeling unsafe or targeted. I do not support any actions which put people in danger, but as of now, the counter-protests have been successful and very peaceful. In times as hard as these, it is essential to remember there are people around you who care, and even if it seems the whole world is against you, there will always be a voice on your side.