This an email being sent by the gay teachers
B.C. human rights tribunal to hear anti-gay charge
MARINA JIMENEZ
VANCOUVER SUN
The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal will hear a complaint by a group of parents and educators that a pamphlet distributed by a Langleybased group promotes discrimination against homosexuals.
The B.C. Human Rights Commission investigated the complaint and last week referred it to the tribunal, which will determine if the pamphlet violates the province's human rights code.
The pamphlet, called The Declaration of Family Rights, says students should be allowed to excuse themselves from classroom materials, activities and programs that "portray the lifestyle of gays, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgendered individuals as one which is normal, acceptable or must be tolerated."
The pamphlet was distributed by Kari Simpson, executive director of the Citizens Research Institute, in March, 1997 after the B.C. Teachers Federation passed a motion pledging to combat homophobia and heterosexism in schools.
At the same time, concern arose on the Surrey school board over teaching materials relating to homosexuality. In April, 1997, the board banned three books depicting gay parenting, after a 41 vote among trustees.
A group of parents and teachers is fighting the board's ban and has launched a lawsuit.
Many of the same people laid a human rights complaint against Simpson and the nonprofit research institute, founded by Simpson and four others three years ago to protect so called traditional family values.
The complaint alleges the pamphlet encourages discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people and contravenes the school board's obligation to implement human rights programs, including antihomophobia education.
The controversial pamphlet contains a release for students and/or parents to sign authorizing them not to attend programs or activities that portray a gay lifestyle or ridicule their family's cultural traditions, religious and/or moral beliefs.
The society made the pamphlet available to interested individuals who could then register it with schools. The society argued that the declaration is aimed at the "proper mandate of public education" and protects the family's right .to instill "values and moral standards of the family."
The ministry of education issued a memo saying the pamphlets have no legal merit, but teacher Murray Warren is still worried some schools accepted them.
"If they are accepted by schools, and placed in a child's file, that constitutes blatant discrimination," said Warren, one of the nine complainants.
Another complainant, Diane Willcott, believes the pamphlet teaches children about hate and encourages them to judge people based on their sexual orientation.
"I think when we discriminate against a group in society, we have to be responsible for that. A hearing will give that opportunity," said Willcott, a member of Heterosexuals Exposing Paranoia.