Protecting the rights of marginalized communities is one of the fundamental principles of liberal democracies, but the past month has shown how some pro-LGBTQ initiatives in Western countries are taking place at the cost of suppressing the rights of others, including vulnerable communities, who are immediately labeled as bigots, extremists and even being told at times to leave the countries they’ve embraced as homes.
The radical interpretation of LGBTQ rights disregards the fact that opposing the indoctrination of an ideology on moral or religious grounds does not necessitate bigotry, discrimination or hatred against a specific group.
However, the situation in many Western countries has reached such a point that any parent or guardian objecting to LGBTQ curriculum or events celebrating LGBTQ pride in schools, including preschools and primary education institutions, are labeled as bigots. While there is no proof that disagreeing with an ideology transpires as intolerance or discrimination, the strict pro-LGBTQ policies at schools, which may prevent parents and students from the right to opt-out of activities against their religious or moral values, contradicts the essence of Western liberal ideology; and instead of making schools more inclusive and accepting of differences, the current situation leads to the exclusion of the violation of the rights of different groups.
Whenever a minority expresses dismay about an ongoing problem (or what they perceive to be a problem) in the Western countries they live in, there is a group of people who immediately pull the “go back home” card. But what about the people who have nowhere to go back to and see this as their only home? Or what about those who are not even part of a visible minority but do not want their children to be exposed to such ideologies in schools? Where do these people go?
Tensions have only escalated in June, as it is celebrated as Pride Month in some Western countries.
Many Muslim and conservative parents in particular have been arguing that they do not want their children to be exposed to LGBTQ ideology, including drag performances, and pride-related activities at school, arguing that they are not age-appropriate and contradict their religious values.
For instance, on June 7, a teacher scolded a Muslim student at a junior high school in Canada’s western Alberta province, for not showing up at pride celebrations, according to leaked audio recordings published online.
“It goes two ways! If you want to be respected for you are... then you better give it back to people who are different from you,” the teacher is heard saying and adds that the student “does not belong in Canada” if he/she does not agree with some laws in the country, referring to same-sex marriage. The student in question was not only humiliated in front of classmates, but was also targeted for simply choosing not to attend the events due to religious reservations.
The teacher’s disastrous comments reflect the degree of intolerance in what was once hailed as one of the most liberal countries in the world, which was hailed as a “salad bowl” with its respect for and acceptance of different cultures, in contrast to its southern neighbor, the U.S., metaphorically referred to as the “melting pot,” which assimilates immigrants into its own culture. The ideology that forces a student to celebrate pride is autocratic, intolerant and discriminatory, all of which are ideologies that pro-LGBTQ activists say they fight against.
Earlier this month, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) announced that schools would no longer seek parental permission for drag queen storytime events following complaints by some parents, who claimed that seeking such permission violated equity as it implied the event constituted a supposed risk for some students. While many pro-LGBTQ parents claim such events should be treated as ordinary school activities and should not require parental consent, others, including Muslims and non-Muslims alike oppose it on the grounds that they do not want their children to be exposed to figures promoting what they deem to be a controversial lifestyle, shown as role models. The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education (LAUSDB) in the U.S., also adopted a resolution this month, urging member schools to include LGBTQ education in their curriculum.
The TDSB also introduced the first school with all gender-neutral washrooms, where boys and girls use the same washrooms without urinals, according to the Toronto Star. While some parents complained about students peeking under washroom stalls, others complained about urine on toilet seats and that some girls may feel uncomfortable while changing or disposing of pads or tampons as boys can hear it in such gender-neutral settings. Muslim parents especially complained about the announcement, as girls wearing headscarves may use the washrooms to fix their head covering or perform ablution, but the lack of an all-female washroom simply strips them from access to such an atmosphere. One cannot help but wonder, what is next on the list? All-gender changing rooms for GYM classes? How can a school board argue that they are trying to provide an “inclusive atmosphere” for children, by totally excluding and ignoring the needs of others? Or why would it be discriminatory if the school had female, male and all-gender washrooms and students were given the option to use whichever they felt most comfortable? The decision is especially controversial as Toronto has one of the largest Muslim communities in the country and looks like the board would be extending the implementation in other schools.
On a different note, drag story times at libraries have been ongoing in various countries since 2015 and involve children as young as 3. While supporters argue these events are not sexualized and only mean to foster love and acceptance for differences and reading, some parents argue that is not the case, as the nature of the shows is for adults only. There have been complaints about drags twerking while reading to children and engaging in inappropriate moves in inappropriate clothing with inappropriate names, at times involving vulgar connotations.
Across the Atlantic in Europe, drag story times were canceled in Toulouse, France last month, while in the U.K., a planned event was canceled in Dundee after protests in 2022. In New Zealand, a library in Auckland was forced to close due to a protest after a drag story time event in March.
Tennessee in the U.S. became the first state to impose restrictions on drag shows, but a judge overturned it, saying that it was unconstitutional. At least seven states, including West Virginia, Texas, South Carolina, Arizona and Oklahoma, are considering passing new laws to ban or restrict drag in schools.
Prohibiting any sort of moral objection to indoctrinating LGBTQ teachings at schools is no different than the ideology that had prohibited and restricted the expression of queer ideology in the past. They are all restrictive and do not provide the other side any opportunity to live their lives as they wish.
While many Muslim and non-Muslim families have been arguing that children need to be kept out of the LGBTQ debate for different reasons, some have – perhaps unintentionally – included their children in opposing the ideology, in an unfortunate demonstration of hatred and intolerance. Attempting to solve problems through hatred has never, and will never, produce results and will only open up the pandora’s box to fuel more enmity.
Recent footage from an anti-LGBTQ protest held in Canada’s capital Ottawa, in which Muslim parents cheer on as their children stomp on the LGBTQ flag, drew criticism online for various reasons.
Istanbul-based clinical psychologist Müjde Yahşi says parents should never condone or resort to hate speech in front of children regardless of the circumstances, let alone involve them in such acts.
“We are absolutely against propaganda involving stomping flags,” she said, adding that the parents should explain the situation in a way that does not marginalize other groups. This could involve simple statements such as “They are different and have different lifestyles and each person can have different rules and boundaries.”
There is no need to indoctrinate hatred, according to Yahşi, who noted that there is no need to turn the issue into a battle, as it is a delicate matter and wrong ill-judged reactions may create unfavorable results.
Already frequent targets for their beliefs, Muslim parents are stuck in a dilemma and many of them note they are being left with no choice but to send their children to private institutions. However, this is not a viable option for all families, as not everyone can afford it, or live in cities that have alternative schooling options available, or are able to register their children right away as most schools have yearslong wait lists. Some families have also started considering relocating to other countries, which is also not an option for many, who see the countries they live in the West as their only homes. Others, who have no option but to send their children to public schools, are being stripped of the choice to submit religious opposition and risk being labeled as bigots.
Nobody has a problem when authorities provide constitutionally-guaranteed equal rights to marginalized communities, but it becomes problematic when they refuse to take into consideration the fact that it is stripping other vulnerable minorities’ constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms and coercing a single ideology on all discards the possibility to peacefully and respectfully coexist. Accommodating a marginalized group should not come at the cost of others and relevant accommodations need to be made for others if the accommodation is genuinely being initiated for the sake of democracy and liberty.
