Gender identity policy divides crowds outside Windsor school board's first closed meeting

At least 100 people gathered outside Windsor-Essex's public school board head office Tuesday evening in a heated protest opposing — or supporting — a school board policy on gender identity, and the board's decision to close meetings to the public.

Last week, the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) announced that attendance would be limited to online only. Trustees say the decision came after comments and hostility from the public created an unsafe environment.

Some attendees outside the GECDSB office Tuesday said they had previously planned to attend the meeting in opposition to the board's gender identity policy, and were gathering outside after the board closed the meeting to in-person attendance.

A second group of LGBTQ community members and allies were outside the meeting in support of the board's policy and LGBTQ students in general.

Security guards were present as crowds outside the meeting grew, closer to 7 p.m.

Elton Robinson is an organizer of Parents for Parents' Rights, a group that has attended board meetings in the past and opposed the policy.

That policy allows students of any age to use different pronouns, name or gender while at school without informing parents.

"I really feel shutting down the public just makes people harden in their stances," Robinson said. 

He said the group was first planning to attend the meeting, the last of the school year, in-person. But it decided to protest, he said, when the board closed meeting access last week. 

He added that Parents for Parents' Rights does not support hate, but that they want parents involved in the conversation. He says he'd like parental consent to be required for students 16 and younger who want to use a different name or pronoun at school. 

Ghofran El-Dari said she has three children in the public school board and opposes teaching children about sexuality in schools. 

"Kids should be free and they shouldn't be force fed ideas. They have no idea what it means," El-Dari said. "They don't know what it means to be gay. They don't know what it means to be heterosexual. Everyone has a right to do whatever they want, no problem. Don't force feed it down my throat."

Hedy Halpern was outside the school board office Tuesday in support of LGBTQ students.

"They're welcome to their beliefs. I will never try to change someone," Halpern said. "I ask for the same respect in return and the same respect for our children."