PC gender identity resolution is misguided and dangerous

On Saturday, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario passed a resolution at its annual convention to debate the recognition and validity of gender identity.

The resolution stated that “gender identity theory” is “a highly controversial, unscientific ‘liberal ideology’; and, as such, that an Ontario PC Government will remove the teaching and promotion of ‘gender identity theory’ from Ontario schools and its curriculum.”

This resolution was supported by the majority of the PC membership present and will now be debated at the PC convention next year, at which point, it may become part of party policy.

Let me be clear: Trans people are not the product of any ideology. Trans people have always been here, and always will be. The only ideological agenda that is being pushed in this province right now is a social conservative ideology that would rather kids not learn about diverse families or communities and would see trans identities erased from our schools and our communities.

This ideology drove the PC government’s decision to axe Ontario’s 2015 sex-ed curriculum, and is the ideology behind the resolution passed at the PC party convention last weekend. And it’s dangerous.

This whole “liberal ideology” rhetoric is nothing but the latest desperate attack on diversity and difference. That’s what this is really about: a small but mighty group of scared, bigoted social conservatives hoping to use scare tactics and misinformation to force everyone to adhere to their narrow, rigid world view — a world view in which people like me don’t exist.

In truth, what we’re teaching kids in schools — this so-called “liberal ideology” is that our world is diverse — that people come in different races, genders, sexualities and abilities. We’re teaching kids that regardless of their identities, people deserve to be treated with respect.

We’re teaching kids that yes, some people’s gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. That’s not liberal ideology — that’s fact. It doesn’t matter how you feel about it, it doesn’t matter what you believe, trans people exist.

We have always existed, and we always will.

Trans kids already have it rough. Two thirds of trans kids reported self-harming in the past year.

One third attempted suicide, and 70 per cent report experiencing sexual harassment.

The best estimates tell us that 20 to 40 per cent of homeless youth are LGBTQ2S+ identified — with a significant portion of those being trans kids. While social conservatives talk about trans identities as “liberal ideology,” trans kids are getting harassed in their schools and kicked out of their homes by unaccepting parents.

We live in a society that ostracizes, vilifies and stigmatizes trans people. Our society imposes transphobic ideas on our young people, making our schools all too often unsafe for trans youth. Trans kids in Ontario are bullied, harassed and mistreated by their peers — and all too often, their families too. In the face of this violence, the very least we can do for these kids is create schools and classrooms where they feel welcomed, loved and supported.

Research indicates that when schools have LGBTQ2S+ inclusion policies and programs, not only do LGBTQ2S+ kids do better — straight and cisgender (nontrans) kids do, too.

Building inclusive and caring schools is in the best interest of all students and all students deserve to feel welcomed and supported by their teachers, their peers and their families. That’s not liberal ideology — that’s common sense and basic human decency.

Trans people have never had it easy. We’ve fought tooth and nail for the rights that we have, and we’re still fighting to survive in a world inundated with transphobia.

In the face of all that, it is heartbreaking that our trans kids — some of the most vulnerable young people in our society — are being targeted by the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Fae Johnstone (she/they) is a community-based gender and sexuality educator, organizer and consultant. She is a young professional with a background in LGBTQ non-profit and the Ontario child and youth mental health sector. Twitter: @FaeJohnstone.