'Cooler minds' needed in discussion of gender identity of schools, MLA says

Opposition MLAs encouraged Prince Edward Islanders to inform themselves better about guidelines for respecting gender identity in schools, following protests attended by 100s on Wednesday in Charlottetown.

A protest against the guidelines in the name of parents rights was countered by a protest in support, and tensions were high. Police are investigating two assault complaints. The Charlottetown event was one of a number planned for the same day in other provinces.

"The tension just mounted here and across the country," said Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly.

"We've lost the ability to debate right now. I think that needs to come back … We've got to have cooler minds on Prince Edward Island."

The protest centred on a requirement that teachers and other school officials respect the privacy of students who come out to them regarding sexual orientation or gender identity. That includes not sharing that information with parents without the express consent of the student.

McNeilly noted that policy aligns with both what the United Nations and P.E.I.'s own child and youth advocate have to say about the rights of children.

"Parents have the ability to communicate and talk and be open-minded with their children," McNeilly said 

Karla Bernard, interim leader of the Green Party, emphasized the need for people to understand what is actually happening in schools.

"In order to have an informed opinion on this, you need to take the responsibility to educate yourself on what our kids are actually learning in schools," said Bernard.

"It's not what it's being, kind of, made out to be right now."

Bernard, a school counsellor before she was elected an MLA, described the guidelines as an extension of the way schools have worked for many years.

"If a child tells me something, unless they're in danger to themselves, to someone else, or I'm obligated by court, what they tell me as a school counsellor stays with me. These things have always been in place," she said.

"An educator going to a parent and telling them that, however their child may identify or what their identity is, we may be putting a child at risk. The education system may be doing that."

Teachers are not always aware of the home environment of students, she said, which can make sharing information with parents tricky.