Commentary responding to the removal of 2SLGBTQIA+ banners in Woodstock recognized by CCNAs
The River Valley Sun has been honoured by News Media Canada. Publisher Theresa Blackburn-Chisholm’s editorial, “Why supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ matters,” captured first place in the Best Local Editorial Category for print circulation up to 9,999 in the 2025 Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards (CCNA).
The CCNAs celebrate the best in community publishing from across the country. Newspapers and news media sites compete against each other and are judged by a panel of industry experts. With a diverse array of awards categories covering editorial, photography and multimedia, the CCNAwards offer learning opportunities for publishers of all sizes. This year, the judges sifted through more than 1,000 entries in 30 categories.
The editorial appeared in the River Valley Sun’s May 2024 edition, after the Town of Woodstock removed inclusive banners from their downtown light posts.
Why supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ matters
By Theresa Blackburn-Chisholm
When I was growing up, if you were gay or trans, you feared for your safety. If you had children who loved people of the same sex or dressed like the opposite gender, you lost an awful lot of sleep worrying about them.
When I was in college, there were some horrifying and public cases of teenagers who were murdered. Many of us knew someone ‘different’ who took their own life. In the late 1980s and ’90s, we began to demand equality; we helped fight for acceptance and cheered when milestones happened, like in 1998, when the Supreme Court of Canada declared denying same-sex surviving partners pension benefits unconstitutional. But here we are again, defending the rights of this minority so they can freely love who they love, dress how they dress, and choose their pronouns.
The statistics related to the well-being of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are upsetting. Teenagers who identify with this community are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight, cisgender peers.
Statistics Canada’s latest data (2021) says that approximately 1 in 10 youth report being a member of this community, and 1.3 million Canadians identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ – that’s 4.4 per cent of our population. Members of this community are also more likely to live in poverty compared to the straight population, and nearly 40 per cent of 2SLGBTQIA+ members have attempted suicide, which is more than double the rate in the cisgender population.
Canadian data on hate crimes based on sexual orientation says violence against this community rose by 64 per cent between 2019 and 2021 – the highest level in five years. It feels like we’re living in a time warp.
Our provincial government is embroiled in a legal battle related to children’s rights and the Department of Education’s Policy 713, which “sets minimum requirements for school districts and public schools to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive and affirming school environment for all students, families, and allies who identify or are perceived as LGBTQI2S+.”
Our 2SLGBTQIA+ youth often deal with mental health crises at an early age as they try to grapple with how their family, friends, and community will accept them. Suicide statistics are the reason the “It Gets Better” campaign was launched in 2010. People may remember support videos and commercials that included personal stories of famous 2SLGBTQIA+ Canadians like Rick Mercer, Rex Harrington, Ann-Marie MacDonald, and others. The campaign reminded 2SLGBTQIA+ youth that life does get better and the world needs them. Government decisions of late aren’t sending that message at a time when support for this vulnerable community is no longer about tolerance but is vital to their survival.
Some say the decision to remove the Pride banners from downtown Woodstock is no big deal, but those of us who have stayed up all night with someone who wanted to kill themselves because they believed they would never be accepted think otherwise.
Some say that parental rights should trump the rights of the children, but those of us who remember friends who were beaten by parents or kicked out of the home at age 14 because they came out of the closet also think otherwise.
Many have touted Bible verses when debating these issues. I wish people were as well acquainted with our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as they are with Scripture. Section 15 of the charter states that “every individual is to be considered equal regardless of religion, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.”
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is challenging the changes made to Policy 713 by Education Minister Bill Hogan because the changes “violate the rights and threaten the safety and wellbeing of Trans and gender diverse students.”
The association’s website goes on to say, “many students may choose to confide in the parents about their gender identity. However, for other Trans and gender-diverse students, it may not be safe to do so. These students are at an increased risk of dropping out of school, running away from home, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. These risks are not trivial. Health professionals, human rights experts, educators, and youth advocates stress that it is not in the best interests of young people to force them to come out to their parents before they are ready.”
This is the same organization that challenged the government’s criminal code so law-abiding gun collectors who were in possession of ‘restricted’ weapons would not face the same penalties as those who commit crimes with guns. The organization goes after government policies that infringe on our rights — the rights of all Canadians, including children. You can’t agree with one set of rights because it suits you and then go against another set because it doesn’t adhere to your beliefs. That’s not how the charter works.
Elizabeth J. Meyer, Ph.D., is a Professor of Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice at the School of Education at the University of Colorado. In a 2022 article for Psychology Today, she explained why there is a need to support LGBTQIA+ youth and why banning pride banners and flags does more harm than good.
“They need to feel safe, like they belong, and have positive student-teacher relationships. If these elements aren’t present, students are more likely to struggle academically, skip school, or drop out (Thapa et al, 2013). Teachers understand this and try to build positive relationships with their students. These stickers and flags are one way to signal support and affirmation for students who often don’t feel seen and respected at home or at school.”
I would argue the same goes for the community.
Woodstock’s Municipal Plan Community Vision statement says, “The Town of Woodstock is a welcoming and safe community providing an enhanced quality of life for all residents.” I don’t think members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community would agree.
The Pride banners have already been paid for. They cost nothing to place, as town public works employees have to hang other banners in the downtown regularly. They need to return to our lamp posts.
We also need to offer Mayor Trina Jones some grace. She went from a citizen to mayor (in very short order), and her job isn’t easy. This is her first controversial decision. Council’s job sometimes entails making decisions that aren’t popular but are in the best interests of those who feel they don’t have a voice. I believe this is one of those times.
My biggest disappointment in watching this story unfold has been the eerie silence from the deputy mayor and other councillors.
“The ultimate tragedy,” Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”
We can’t afford to lose any of our youth, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. Knowing the statistics and the challenges they face, we all have a moral and legal obligation to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The question remains: do our political leaders have the courage to do the same?
