When two Grade 6 students at St. George Catholic School in Ottawa were assigned a class project on social justice, they chose gay rights as their topic.
“A lot of people, they don’t know they’re being rude, but they make being gay a bad thing,” said 11-year-old Quinn Maloney-Tavares, who picked the topic with her friend, Polly Hamilton. “They need to know that it’s not a bad thing.”
But school principal Ann Beauchamp had other ideas. She vetoed the topic.
“The girls were upset and disappointed,” Quinn’s mother, Ann Maloney, said Wednesday.
As a silent protest, the two wore rainbow colours to school and painted small rainbow flags on their hands.
When they explained why, their classmates said, “Oh my goodness, guys, that’s such a good idea,” Quinn said. Several other students painted rainbow flags on their hands in solidarity.
Our board’s focus on equity and family life programs ensures students are taught within the context of our faith
Maloney and Polly’s mother, Kate, met last week with Beauchamp, hoping to change her mind. Social justice is supposed to be
messy, they told her. It’s not supposed to be comfortable.
“If you’re allowing 11-year-olds to choose a topic,” Maloney said, “they’re going to choose a topic that’s important to them.”
But Beauchamp wouldn’t budge. “She felt very strongly about her decision,” Maloney said.
The students’ projects go on display at a social justice fair in January, attended by students from Grades 4 to 6. Beauchamp didn’t feel gay rights “was a topic that was appropriate for that age group,” Maloney said.
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The principal was also concerned that she’d face criticism from “right-wing” Catholic parents if she allowed the project to proceed, Maloney said.
Beauchamp and local trustee Betty-Ann Kealey refused to comment, directing the Citizen to the school board’s communications department.
The board released an emailed statement that it said should be attributed to chairman Ted Hurley. It said the board’s family life curriculum “covers all topics around personhood, relationships and sexuality and is developed and taught in an age-appropriate manner.
“The principal’s decision was made in this context and with the understanding that the project was going to be presented to younger students,” the statement continued.
“Our board’s focus on equity and family life programs ensures students are taught within the context of our faith, with a focus on the dignity of personhood.”
Why are we still here, as Catholics, where we can’t talk about gay rights?
A spokesman for Ontario’s Education Minister Liz Sandals said the Ottawa Catholic School Board “is in the best position to speak on this specific matter.
“Our expectation is that school boards comply with the Education Act, which requires them to provide safe, inclusive and accepting school environments that support the achievement and well-being of all students.”
Maloney is still fuming over Beauchamp’s decision. “Why are we still here, as Catholics, where we can’t talk about gay rights?” she said. “It’s ridiculous, as far as I’m concerned.”
As for Quinn and Polly, they’ll likely now do a project on discrimination instead, including discrimination based on sexual orientation.
“They’ve learned more about social justice in a week than they ever could have by doing a project,” Maloney said. “It’s been very real for them.”