A Topic of Contention
Sexual health education has a history of being contested, debated, and questioned, which continues to happen today. On September 20, 1 Million March 4 Children organized protests in cities across Canada, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Winkler, Steinbach, and Dauphin. These protests advocated against 2STLGBQ+ inclusion, or “gender ideology,” and advocated for “parental rights.” This rhetoric included promoting the exclusion of queer identities from public schools or libraries, not allowing comprehensive sexuality education materials in schools or libraries, and telling parents if their children are exploring their gender identities at school. Over the past two years, school boards, libraries, and educators have been the targets of increased harassment, being called “groomers” for providing access to information about gender and sexuality. As leaders in sexual health education in Manitoba, we at the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC) would like to stress the vital role of parents and caregivers in the lives and education of children and young people while also clarifying the misinformation that fuels this movement and misleads many concerned parents.
Sex Ed and “Grooming”
A common barrier to the delivery of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in public spaces, including schools, libraries, and elsewhere, are the assumptions that it may encourage young people to be more sexually active, that it sexualizes children, and that CSE “grooms” children for sexual exploitation. This myth has become popular thanks to the 1 Million March 4 Children and hashtags like #OkGroomer. These worries have driven much of the pushback against CSE. But no evidence supports these assumptions; the opposite is true. Research shows that CSE does not increase sexual activity, sexual risk-taking behavior, or STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection)/ HIV rates. CSE leads to improved knowledge and more positive attitudes around sexuality, including increased understanding of rights within a sexual relationship, more communication with parents and caregivers about sex and relationships, and tools to better manage situations that involve risk. These factors help youth advocate for themselves and give them the tools to keep themselves safe and healthy. In other words, CSE does not groom children for sexual predators. CSE makes children and youth less vulnerable to sexual exploitation. CSE protects children.
The 1 Million March 4 Children and rhetoric surrounding this movement use the word “pedophile” to describe the people who provide CSE, as well as people who are queer or trans. This accusation is harmful. It creates misinformation, fractures communities, and stigmatizes people who are already marginalized for their identities. No matter our personal values, we need to work together. Parents, caregivers, educators, and libraries need to work together to care for our children and each other. This is not the time for division; it is the time for fostering connection and building community support. Using the term “pedophile” in this false way disservices children and youth by creating fear while trivializing actual child sexual exploitation. Echoing false statements harms children and youth and does not keep them safe. However, access to good, evidence-based, community-supported CSE does increase safety.
“Gender Ideology” and “Indoctrination”
It is a common misconception that public schools “indoctrinate” children into “gender ideology.” This notion is a fallacy as it positions 2STLGBQ+ inclusion as an ideology and fails to acknowledge that the “traditional” idea of two binary genders is also an ideology. Clearly defined and separate roles for two genders, men and women, and having those genders be an essential quality inherent to a person based on their genitalia is just one way of viewing sex and gender. This idea is called the gender binary, an ideology that most of us in Canada, the West, and many other countries were raised with. We are all indoctrinated into one way of viewing gender or another, and that’s normal. All cultures have some form of gender ideology. So, when we present 2STLGBQ+ inclusion as an ideology but do not do the same for the gender binary, it implies that 2STLGBQ+ members of our communities are outsiders and are non-normative. Framing 2STLGBQ+ inclusion like this not only serves to delegitimize the rights and freedoms to which 2STLGBQ+ Canadians are entitled but further marginalizes them. Being exposed to ideologies different than ours, whether they’re about gender or other aspects of our belief systems like religion, is simply a feature of living in a free society. Exposure and awareness are not the same as indoctrination; to present them as being the same is a false equivalency. We need parents, caregivers, and educators to support each other, even people whose views and identities are different from our own.
“Parental Rights”
The term “parental rights” is trending, and policies regarding parental consent for children’s use of different names and pronouns at school have been adopted in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Misconceptions about gender have led to the notion that by using a child’s chosen pronouns in school, teachers are forcing children to adopt a different gender, but this is not true. The movement for “parental rights” would have public school teachers be obligated to tell a child’s parents if they have asked that teachers refer to them with different pronouns than the ones assigned to them at birth, such as “they/them” instead of “he/him.” Calling children and youth by the pronouns of their choosing is not forcing them to adopt a gender different than their own. Calling a child by the pronouns of their choosing is acknowledging their identity, acknowledging their experience of being themselves, making space for how they would like to show up in their school, and doing so at the child’s request.
There have always been people who have existed outside of the gender binary. Many Indigenous cultures around the world have more than two genders. It is not new, even if it is outside of some people’s worldview and experience. Acknowledging the existence of gender diversity is not forcing children to transition or adopt a different gender. It is simply telling them that some people do not present themselves or identify with the gender assigned at birth, and it is important to provide a framework for interacting with, respecting, and talking about different people. In some cases, this provides words that the child otherwise would not have had to describe their own experiences.
For the children who identify as gender diverse, trans, or queer, this information can be lifesaving. When children and young people grow up not feeling seen or represented, they feel like something is wrong with them. When they do not know that other people like them exist, they can feel like they should not exist. For this reason, 2STLGBQ+ inclusion in public schools is suicide prevention. Working to prevent suicide is about the bare minimum we can do to provide safety for youth. 2STLGBQ+ inclusion in schools is essential for creating safe learning environments and protecting children.
We know parents and caregivers are crucial to children’s and young people’s wellbeing. However, not all homes are safe for queer-identified, gender-diverse, or trans children and youth. This lack of safety in many homes is part of why rates of suicide, homelessness, and depression are higher for 2STLGBQ+ youth. Outing children to their parents as trans or gender diverse in the name of “parental rights” undermines the child’s right to privacy, identity, the right to be free from discrimination based on gender, and the right to choose their own beliefs.
If a family is not a safe place for a child, for any reason, then others must step in to ensure a child’s safety. This is a big role that schools play, to provide a safe place outside of a child’s home, and this role is especially important in the situation of children who are unsafe at home. If there is a chance of the child being abused, disowned, or kicked out of the house when their family learns about their gender identity, then these “parental rights” jeopardize the child’s rights to safety and shelter. While parents have an imperative role and responsibility to care for their children and prepare them for the world in the best ways they can, children are not the property of their parents. Protecting children means protecting their physical and emotional safety, access to a safe place to live, and their autonomy as individuals, regardless of their gender identity or orientation. These are the rights of children in Canada and their rights as human beings.
All people, including children and minors, have the right to receive relevant and accurate health information to make and act on important health decisions. This information needs to be accessible to people when they need it and needs to be accessible and appropriate depending on age, maturity, and all areas of development. At SERC, we’re committed to advocating for the delivery of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in all schools throughout Manitoba and supporting parents, caregivers, and service providers in maintaining an accessible and inclusive youth sexual health curriculum that empowers youth with the information they need to stay safer. We do not do this alone. We work with parents, educators, community organizations, service providers, government programs, and more to resource and facilitate CSE throughout Manitoba.
Why Comprehensive Sexuality Education?
Along with the rights we’ve listed above, Comprehensive Sexuality Education is another human right to which we’re all entitled. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) has proven to be an essential part of health care to promote positive health outcomes and prevent negative ones. CSE is a way of understanding and teaching human sexuality and reproductive health that recognizes the mental, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality and how all aspects interconnect with the other parts of our lives. In the past, sexuality education taught in schools was fear-based and focused on preventing teen pregnancy and disease, but today’s methods of teaching sexuality education have moved from a negative, fear-focused approach to emphasizing the importance of wellness, pleasure, inclusion, and choice. Research from UNESCO states that the best way to ensure access to high-quality information on sexual and reproductive health and rights is to include it in a written school-based curriculum that guides educators. CSE needs to be available to everyone, and Canada is obligated to ensure that CSE is delivered everywhere it is needed.
Why did the strategy for sexual health education change? The approach changed because it became clear that we need to support healthy sexual development among children and youth proactively. Limiting sex ed to how to use a condom or teaching abstinence alone does not answer young people’s questions about what is happening in their lives. It does not prepare them with the skills they need to keep themselves physically safe and emotionally well. A comprehensive, strength-based approach to sexuality education recognizes the complicated, conflicting messages youth receive about how to feel, act, look, and behave.
CSE in publicly funded schools requires a vital and present role for parents and caregivers; we cannot understate the crucial role of parents and caregivers. When parents understand what children and youth are learning in schools, educators and families can work together and ensure CSE has the support it needs within and outside of school. The cultural context of sexual and reproductive health is rapidly changing. Teachers within a publicly funded school system are supported to stay current on the trends and the resource landscape to help children and youth as they grow. Public funding for CSE is necessary, and access to CSE needs to be promoted beyond schools, acknowledging that youth will access this education from communities, peers, and families.
People of all ages need access to information and safe spaces to ask vulnerable questions and receive answers without judgment. To exclude subjects like gender, pleasure, and choice from sexuality education is to ignore significant aspects of how sexuality is experienced and is to knowingly leave youth underprepared and ill-equipped to look after not only their sexual health but also their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. CSE takes a community.
The Benefits of an Evidence-Based Approach
At SERC, we connect with organizations like SIECCAN and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, whose mission is to provide the latest research in sexual health to organizations like ours. Evidence-based research is at the core of our work, and time and time again, the evidence shows us that CSE has many benefits for children and youth. Research shows that the best way to provide sexual health education to youth is to include education about gender, power, and relationships because these factors play significant roles in shaping sexuality and sexual experiences, rather than to focus on risk or teach from a place of fear. Over our many years of operating, youth have told us that the CSE that SERC has provided has positively impacted their lives. The outcomes for CSE go far beyond preventing sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. They also include:
- Prevention of child sexual abuse
- Prevention of dating violence and intimate partner violence
- Appreciation of sexual diversity, including reduced homophobic attitudes, reduced bullying and harassment
- Increased safety in learning environments for 2STLGBQ+ youth
- Increased safety for students often targeted by those attitudes, expanded understanding of gender/gender norms
- Improved health in relationships
- Increased empathy and respect for others
- Enhanced skills for managing feelings
- Improved body image and sense of self
- Increased media literacy, including media deconstruction skills
Sexuality Education Resource Centre Manitoba Inc. (SERC) is a community health agency in Manitoba and a leader in sexual health education, grounded in principles of consent, bodily autonomy, and equitable access to sexual and reproductive health services. Comprehensive sexuality education for youth and children is a fundamental and core component of our work. Please join us in supporting public schools and libraries in keeping comprehensive sexuality education books on their shelves, speaking out against the censorship of books and policies that recognize gender diversity, and protecting the rights and safety of all children and youth in Manitoba.
What is in the school curriculum?
Do you have questions or concerns about the curriculum taught in your child’s school? This information is available on the school division’s website. We know that vloggers, influencers, and campaigns like the 1 Million March 4 Children try to portray the curriculum in Manitoban and Canadian classrooms as “secretive,” but it is publicly available information. The curriculum is easily accessible and just one Google search away. This link is to the Physical Education/Health Education site for Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning.
Would you like to learn more about how to talk to your children about sexuality and gender? We have a section of pages dedicated to this on our website at serc.mb.ca/sexual-health-info/for-parents-caregivers.
If you’d like to read more about the value of Comprehensive Sexuality Education and the rights to which you and your children are entitled, we recommend the resources below:
- SIECCAN, the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada.
- They have just released Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Prevention within School-Based Comprehensive Sexual Health Education, which addresses the need to identify gender-based violence as a core health risk and how to implement it into CSE.
- They also have Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education.
- Their article Questions & Answers: Sexual Health Education in Schools & Other Settings specifically addresses the myth that sexual health education increases sexual activity.
- SIECCAN defines gender-based violence as including homophobia, transphobia, and queerphobia.
- MMIWG2S+ Calls to Justice.
- Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. Action Canada has the following articles that are particularly relevant:
- Is Sex-Ed a Human Right?
- The State of Sex-Ed in Canada. This article specifically states the essential role that libraries play in getting CSE to rural communities.
- Sexual health education and different learning experiences reported by youth across Canada, an article published by the University of Toronto Press. This research asked youth what they wanted to learn about, and the findings showed that Gender and Sexual Diversity was the third most requested topic after Pleasure and Healthy Relationships.
- Homeless Hub has information about how 2STLGBQ+ youth experience discrimination that causes them to disproportionately experience homelessness.
- The Convention of the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN in 1989. Canada signed on in 1991.
- International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, adopted by the UN in 1966. Canada signed on in 1976.
- The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms