Saskatoon students say high school is censoring Pride week
Students at a Catholic school in Saskatoon say their high school is restricting and censoring Pride week celebrations.
Members of the Youth Alliance Club at Holy Cross High School told CTV News strict directives have been laid out regarding how staff should handle the week celebrating LGBTQ2S+ diversity.
Pride Week must be called “We All Belong Week” and there cannot be any school-wide events or announcements, according to members of the club.
“Students are not allowed to speak over the intercoms and address the problems or the joys that we experience from being queer. Only adults are allowed to speak,” Tailor Schubert, a Grade 11 student at Holy Cross, told CTV News.
Schubert was told the rules were put in place to appease teachers and students “who are uncomfortable with the existence of queer students,” but it in turn, Schubert believes LGBTQ2S+ voices are being silenced.
We All Belong Week events must take place in a separate room — instead of an open space, like a cafeteria — according to Schubert.
“I feel we're being treated unfairly,” Schubert said.
ERASED FROM YEARBOOK
Schubert said the Youth Alliance Club was also left out of the yearbook because the photo featured the Pride flag.
The students suggested editing out the flag, but the club said the idea was rejected.
“We’re just being pushed to the side and I wish we could celebrate ourselves freely,” said Emmerson, a Grade 10 student at Holy Cross.
In an email to CTV News, Derrick Kunz, a spokesperson for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) said he doesn’t know why the Youth Alliance Club was left out of the yearbook and wasn’t able to reach the principal.
“All students, no matter their circumstance or how they identify, are welcomed and supported — especially students who are marginalized,” Kunz wrote in an email.
“We are all beloved children of God, so the notion that all belong is how inclusion is commonly expressed.”
Members of the Holy Cross Youth Alliance Club are shown in a photo. (Laura Woodward/CTV News)
Last week, an internal email from the school division’s superintendent of education, Tom Hickey, was leaked. Hickey told Catholic elementary school principals to keep students away from the Pride-themed Rainbow Tent at the Nutrien Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan.
The email prompted a strong backlash from parents, students and the unions representing teachers and support staff at Catholic schools. On Thursday, protestors converged on the GSCS head office.
While speaking with protestors, Hickey acknowledged “a trust has been broken.”
Protestors asked Hickey what steps the division is taking to move forward.
Hickey said he’s looking forward to working with staff about ”how to support students and better welcome them into our schools.”
At the start of the week, the office's windows were splattered with fluorescent paint and covered with heart and unicorn stickers.
The paint was still visible on the office's windows during the protest Thursday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.