Catholic School Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Decision Not to Fly Pride Flag

Students in one Canadian Catholic school district walked out of classes last week to protest district officials’ decision not to fly the Pride flag this month. Today’s post includes that news and other LGBTQ-related stories from Canada’s Catholic schools.

York Catholic District Students Walk Out Over Pride Flag Decision

On Thursday, dozens of students in the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) protested the board’s recent decision regarding the Pride flag being displayed at the district’s central offices. The walkout is the latest in this months-long dispute, which has included contentious school board meetings for which police were called. CBC reported:

“Patrick Mikkelsen, a Grade 12 student at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School in Aurora, Ont. and one of the school walkout organizers, says students have been calling for action.

“‘We want the board to support their 2SLGBTQ+ students openly,’ Mikkelsen said.

“‘We don’t want it to be just behind closed doors or no outward representation for us. We want visibility and we want respect.’

“At St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in Vaughan, Ont., students walked off of school grounds at 1:15 p.m. as part of the demonstration.

“‘We’re the only school board in all of southern Ontario who does not fly this flag and it’s not fair to the students,’ said student Erika Cordeiro.

“‘We must do better, we must be better.'”

Another student protestor, Maine Cheah, told Global News, “It’s weird that (the board is) prioritizing the comfort of the parents rather than the safety of students.”

Proving the need to better protect LGBTQ+ students, the protest at St. Brother Andre Catholic High School, Markham, turned violent with Global News reporting:

“But these intended [LGBTQ-affirming] messages were quickly drowned out by the noise of a rowdy crowd that had joined the demonstration. The disruptive group of students tore through Pride posters, shouted homophobic slurs, danced on Pride flags and threw Pride bracelets and random objects at people, including Isabella Martinez.

“‘Some kid threw something at my head. And then in response to that, everyone started cheering. There was a group of guys and they were more so harassing us than supporting us,’ she said.”

The pro-LGBTQ+ students districtwide were supported by parents and local LGBTQ+ advocates, such as Tristan Coolman, president of PFLAG York Region, who previously said the group deemed the York Catholic District’s schools to be “unsafe” for LGBTQ+ people.

Support for LGBTQ+ students in the district has come from regional politicians, newspaper editorial boards, and more voices this spring. Mike Totten, president of the York Catholic Teachers Association, said YCDSB’s decision not to fly the Pride Flag was “embarrassing, commenting to Xtra:

“‘[A] majority of voting trustees hide behind the symbols of our faith in an effort to justify homophobia, transphobia and bigotry. . .This is the ultimate act of cowardice and the very antithesis of Catholic values that my members teach our students.'”

Anthony Pauk, principal of St. Denis Catholic School in the Toronto Catholic District School Board, responded to the controversy in the York region by telling Xtra his school flies the Pride Flag:

“[As] an opportunity for us to showcase how Catholicity and love come together. As I tell the kids, it is one and the same. The kids all know that every single one of them is loved, every single one of them is included and we celebrate that through fun.”

YCDSB, however, has remained neutral, saying in a statement about the student walk out las Thursday, “Students have the right to peaceful assembly and to protest as they express their opinions. Lessons, classes and activities will continue as usual in all our schools.” Regarding the incident at St. Brother Andre, YCDSB spokesperson Mark Brosens said the board was “aware of an assault” and staff were following up with police to investigate as such actions “will not be tolerated.”

Police Investigate Theft of Pride Flags at Ontario Catholic Schools

In related news, CBC reported that Pride flags at four schools in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic School Board (HWCDSB) were stolen. Police are now investigating for an assault “with evidence of hate motive,” and trying to clear up whether the stolen flags are part of a joint crime or separate incidents. HWCDSB voted last year to approve flying Pride flags at the district’s schools.

Fr. Jarek Pachocki, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest in the region, voiced support this year for the Catholic school district’s support of LGBTQ+ students, telling CBC:

“‘It’s not about any political agenda or anything like that. It’s a message of “We see you, we love you, we care about you. . .LGBTQ people have always spoken for themselves, and that can be seen in so many different levels, but I think people who support them, who are allies, we do have to speak.'”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Opines on Pride Flag Controversies

Finally, Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, acknowledged disputes in schools as he raised the Pride Flag on Parliament Hill in the country’s capital, Ottawa. Trudeau stated, “I’m here to say even though the flag may not fly at your school, know that it proudly flies here, in your seat of government.”

The controversies this decade over whether Catholic school districts in Canada will fly Pride flags or otherwise celebrate Pride Month may have larger political implications for the country’s divided school system, in which Catholic schools are publicly funded. Martin Regg Cohn, a columnist for The Toronto Star, noted:

“York’s Catholic trustees are caught up in a catechism wrapped in a contradiction inside an anachronism. The trouble with their regressive and aggressive stand is not just that it harms LGBTQ students, but that it hurts the good name of Catholic educators everywhere ― the vast majority of whom are broadly supportive of Pride flags and GSAs. . .

“. . .Ontario must truly reflect the diversity of its religiosity, by enacting true unity in our schools — educating and integrating people of all persuasions and faiths in a single public system (with other believers free to fund their own systems by opting out). . .Without a new framework, with clear rules and rights, our students will remain pawns in recurring political conflicts under the guise of traditional religious schisms.”

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, June 13, 2023